cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study of High-Flow Argon Through Cascaded Arc for Use as a Gas Target Isolator

The so-called plasma window is a dc cascaded arc whose function, in this paper, is to greatly restrict gas flow from high pressure (upward of 40 kPa) chamber to a low-pressure side (order of 10 Pa). This is motivated by its potential to contain a gas charge stripper on a beamline of a high-intensity heavy-ion accelerator without the need for solid windows that would obstruct beam passage and not survive the beam’s intensity. At the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), a test stand for this plasma window has been developed to study how this flow rate restriction is impacted by plasma physical properties and window geometry. Proposed mechanisms for this flow rate restriction are, first, a significant increase in temperature causing greatly enhanced viscosity in the plasma channel, and second, a choked flow condition being established through gas speed reaching supersonic conditions. The study in this paper is limited to pure Ar gas. Optical emission spectroscopy demonstrates the plasma that has an electron temperature of about 1.7 eV and an electron density of about 1016 cm–3.
Millenium Year X-ray Transients in Andromeda Galaxy

We study three transient X-ray sources, that were bright in the central region of M31 galaxy in the year 2000. Observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton allowed us for the first time in the history of X-ray astronomy, to build light curves of transient sources in M31 suitable for studying their variability on a time scale of months and, in some periods, weeks. The three sources demonstrate distinctly different types of X-ray variability and spectral evolution. XMMU J004234.1+411808 is most likely a black hole candidate based on the similarity of its X-ray light curve and spectra to typical transient low-mass X-ray binaries observed in our Galaxy. The outburst of CXO J004242.0+411608 lasted longer than a year, which makes the source an unusual X-ray transient. The supersoft transient XMMU J004319.4+ 411759 is probably a classical nova-like system containing a magnetized, rapidly-spinning white dwarf. We estimate a total rate of X-ray transient outbursts in the central bulge of M31 to be of the order ~10 per year. The rate of the hard X-ray transients (~5 1/year) in the central part of the Andromeda Galaxy appears to be comparable to that of the central part of our own Galaxy.
Frequency of school‐based intervention needed to improve weight outcomes of Mexican‐American adolescents with overweight or obesity: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND Efficacious school-based interventions among ethnic minority youth are often intensive and difficult to disseminate. OBJECTIVE This parallel, open-label-randomized controlled trial aimed to compare changes in adolescent-standardized body mass index (zBMI) from a school-based obesity intervention given 0, 1, 3, or 5 days a week. METHODS Mexican-American youth (n = 243) with overweight or obesity were recruited from a Houston school district and randomized to receive an obesity intervention with established efficacy 0 (control), 1, 3, or 5 d/wk (respectively, equating to 0, 40, 120, or 200 min of contact each week). In each condition, 80% of intervention time was allocated to physical activity and 20% to nutrition, with behavioural modification overlaid throughout. zBMI was calculated from directly measured height and weight. A linear mixed model evaluated differences in zBMI over time between conditions. RESULTS Participants were 12.02 ± 0.57 years old with a zBMI of 1.80 ± 0.46 at baseline. Among those with complete data at 1 year (n = 203), a significant condition by time interaction was indicated (F = 9.42, P < .001). Those who received the intervention 3 or 5 d/wk had significantly greater decreases in zBMI than control (respectively, -0.19 zBMI units/y; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.11; and -0.18 zBMI units/y; 95% CI, -0.27 to -0.10, both P < .001). No differences were found between 3 and 5 d/wk (95% CI, -0.09-0.08, P = .87). CONCLUSIONS The intervention provided 3 d/wk resulted in similar zBMI improvements as the intervention provided 5 d/wk. This information can be used to develop scalable school-based obesity interventions.
Characterization of Quantum Derived Electronic Properties of Molecules: A Computational Intelligence Approach

The availability of BIG molecular databases derived from quantum mechanics computations represent an opportunity for computational intelligence practitioners to develop new tools with same accuracy but much lower computational complexity compared to the costly Schrodinger equation. In this study, unsupervised and supervised learning methods are applied to investigate the internal structure of the data and to learn the mapping between the atomic coordinates of molecules and their properties. Low dimensional spaces revealed a well defined clustering structure as defined by the measures used for comparing molecules based their atom distributions and chemical composition. Supervised learning techniques were applied on the original predictor variables, as well as on a subset of selected variables found using evolutionary algorithms guided by residual variance analysis (Gamma Test). Black and white box modeling approaches were used (random forests, neural networks and model trees and adaptive regression respectively). All of them delivered good performance, error and correlation-wise, with neural networks producing the best results. In particular white box techniques obtained explicit functional dependencies, some of them achieving considerably reduction of the feature set and expressed as simple models.
Periodic motions to chaos in a 1-dimensional, time-delay, nonlinear system

In this paper, periodic motions varying with excitation strength in a 1-dimensional, time-delay, nonlinear dynamical system are studied through a semi-analytical method. With varying excitation strength, a global order of bifurcation trees of periodic motions is given by G1(S) ◁ G1(A) ◁ G3(S) ◁ G2(A) … ◁ Gm(A) ◁ G2m+1(S)◁ … (m = 1,2, …) where Gm(A) is for the bifurcation tree of asymmetric period-m motions to chaos, and G2m+1(S) is for the bifurcation tree of symmetric period-(2m + 1) motions to chaos. On the global bifurcation scenario, periodic motions are determined through specific mapping structures, and the corresponding stability and bifurcation of periodic motions are determined by eigenvalue analysis. Numerical simulations of periodic motions are carried out to verify analytical predictions. Phase trajectories and harmonic amplitudes of periodic motions are presented for a better understanding of the 1-dimensional time-delay system. Even for weak excitation, the traditional methods still cannot be applied to such a time-delay nonlinear system.
Statin Lipophilicity and the Risk of Incident Heart Failure

Background To compare the risk of incident heart failure (HF) between initiators of hydrophilic and lipophilic statins. Methods Using claims data for commercial health insurance program enrollees in the USA (2005-2014), we identified new initiators of hydrophilic or lipophilic statins. Follow-up for the primary outcome of incident HF began after a lag period of 1 year after statin initiation. The outcome was defined as 1 inpatient or 2 outpatient diagnosis codes for HF and the use of loop diuretics. Propensity scores (PS) were used to account for confounding. Hazard ratios (HR) for incident HF were computed separately for low and high-intensity statin users, and then pooled to provide dose-adjusted effect estimates. Results A total of 7,820,204 patients met all our inclusion criteria for statin initiation (hydrophilic and lipophilic statins). Mean age was 58 years, 40% had hypertension, and 23% had diabetes mellitus. After PS matching, there were 691,584 patients in the low-intensity statin group and 807,370 patients in the high-intensity statin group. After a median follow-up of 725 days (IQR 500-1,153),there were 8,389 cases of incident HF (incidence rate 4.5/1,000 person years, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.4-4.6). The unadjusted HR for the risk of HF was 0.77 (95% CI 0.76-0.79) and the pooled adjusted HR for incident HF after PS matching was 0.94 (95% CI 0.90-0.98) for hydrophilic versus lipophilic statins. The HR for incident HF was 1.06 (95% CI 1.00-1.12) for hydrophilic versus lipophilic statins for the low-intensity statin group and 0.82 (95% CI 0.78-0.87) for the high-intensity statin group. In subgroup analyses, a similar trend persisted for those younger and older than 65 years and when comparing rosuvastatin with atorvastatin. Conclusion In this observational cohort study, hydrophilic statins were associated with a modest risk reduction in incident HF as compared to lipophilic statins. Future research replicating these findings in different populations is recommended.
Images of Law School and Law Teaching in 'An Imperfect Spy'

In this essay, we examine Carolyn Heilbrun's (writing as Amanda Cross) portrait of law and law teaching in "An Imprect Spy" in light of our own experience. Much of Heilburn's image of legal academia is unrecognizable not only to those familiar with that world, but even to those whose outsiders whose knowledge of law schools comes from mainstream media. Nevertheless, we conclude that Heilbrun, who presumably could have situated her mystery novel in any academic setting, believes that the fictional Schuyler Law School's aversion to change and its sexist atmosphere are shared with a broad range of law schools, all of which need to examine themselves more critically. For this belief, we are able to forgive the failings of the book as both a mystery and a novel and appreciate the author's efforts to satirize the pomposity and conservatism of law teachers who resist or disparage even modest innovations in class room and clinical legal education.
Glorious Gulf of Mexico: Life Below the Blue

Jesse Cancelmo. 2016. Glorious Gulf of Mexico: Life Below the Blue. (ISBN-13: 978-1-62349-374-5, flexbind). Texas A&M University Press, John H. Lindsey Building, 4354 Lewis St., College Station, Texas 77843-4354, U.S.A. (Orders: tamupress.com, 1-800-826-8911). $30.00 US, 156 pp., 194 color photos, 5 maps, index, 10" × 11".
Anthropology in the Implementation of a New Medical School in South Florida

The roles that anthropologists have in medical schools include program planning, administration, curriculum development, and teaching. The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine opened its doors in 2007 to train physicians that represented the diversity of the South Florida community and meet the medical needs of this community. Accordingly, the school’s mission is to prepare “Socially accountable, community-based physicians…uniquely qualified to transform the health of patients and communities.” In the opening year, I was hired to help develop a community-engaged curriculum in ethics, social determinants of health and interprofessional teamwork due to my training and experience as an anthropologist. However, translating anthropological knowledge and methods into a medical school setting proved challenging. In this chapter, I describe my role in the development, content, and implementation of an innovative medical curriculum, as well as the training and experiences that led me to this unique opportunity as a founding faculty member for a new medical school. In doing so, I reflect on the main challenges I faced as a medical school faculty member and share some of the strategies I learned in the process to be more effective in my role as a medical teacher.
Toward effective river basin management (RBM): The politics of cooperation, sustainability, and collaboration in the Delaware River basin.

Abstract Creating institutions to manage shared waterways at the basin scale, instead of as a patchwork of fragmented political jurisdictions, has long held attraction for water managers and political scientists. Basin-scale planning, management, and governance, the scholarly consensus runs, can promote cooperative management of shared water resources, facilitate management on an ecological rather than political basis, and better engage a diverse set of stakeholders. Yet in practice, River Basin Management (RBM) has proven difficult to institute and often produced disappointing results, being either too weak to be effective or too technocratic. The case of the Delaware River basin in the United States is a noteworthy exception. RBM in the Delaware basin has taken the form of a capable but inclusive inter-jurisdictional commission that has almost eliminated previously widespread conflict between riparian states; generally improved water quality and ecosystem protection; and empowered civil society. Yet this effectiveness stemmed from a messy political process marked by tension and competition between central, state, and local levels of government. Harnessing this tension to forge a durable, adaptable institutional framework proved to be key to the relative success of RBM in the Delaware basin, providing lessons to inform the management of shared watersheds elsewhere.
Enabling Real-Time Irregular Data-Flow Pipelines on SIMD Devices

Streaming data-flow applications arise in many contexts where each item in a data stream must be processed within a bounded latency, or deadline, following its arrival. We consider applications whose behavior is irregular, in the sense that the application may reduce or amplify data volumes dynamically at various stages of its computation. Our implementation target for these applications is SIMD-capable processors such as GPUs. For such devices, organizing the computation so that a full-width SIMD vector of inputs can be processed at once makes efficient use of the processor. However, having parts of the computation wait while full vectors of input accumulate may cause the application to miss deadlines. We present a novel approach to scheduling irregular streaming applications with latency constraints on SIMD devices. After describing a model for executing such applications, we formalize the objective of efficient processor utilization and the constraints associated with bounded latency and sufficient throughput to handle a stream of items arriving at a fixed rate. We introduce a strategy, enforced waits, to optimize the objective subject to the constraints. We demonstrate empirically that, for a test application from bioinformatics, our strategy can lower processor utilization relative to a baseline approach that cannot introduce waits inside the application pipeline. Finally, we characterize the region of parameter space in which the new approach is likely to outperform the baseline.
THE DISTINCTIVE EXPRESSION OF THE CATEGORY OF WORSHIP IN JUDAISM

Zusammenfassung In diesem Artikel wird versucht, die Funktion der Kategorie ‘Kultus’ innerhalb der charakteristischem Stromungen desJudencums, der biblisch-prophetischen und der nicht-mystisch halachischen, phanomenologisch zu erhellen. Zu diesem Zweck soli zuerst die wesencliche Bedeutung und die Abgrenzung der Kategorie ‘Kultus’ ausgearbeitet werden. In dieser Hinsicht ist die Kategorie der Selbsttranszendierung unzulanglich, da diese Kategorie aile Akte einer Beziehung, und somit alle Akte des Bewusstseins, enhalt. Es muss unterschieden werden zwischen einer horizoncalen transzendenten Beziehung zu einem Letzten und einer vertikalen transzendenten Beziehung zu einem Letzten. Diese vertikale transzendente Beziehung zu einem Letzten ist eigentumlich fur die religiose Domane und fur die Kategorie ‘Kultus’. Es wird aber anerkannc, class in vielen Beispielen der Geschichte indirekt, durch einen Akt horizoncaler transzendenter Beziehung, die vertikale Transzendenz zum Ausdruck gebracht wird, z.B. in Struktur...
Pregnancy and Epilepsy

A 28-year-old right-handed female came to the clinic 3 days after her first seizure. The seizure occurred out of sleep and was described by her boyfriend as a convulsion. The emergency medical service took her to the nearest hospital where she was diagnosed with new-onset generalized tonic–clonic seizure. The patient was amnestic for the event and was without memory recall until she arrived at the hospital. She had no significant past medical history and did not use alcohol or illicit drugs. She worked in marketing and had been very successful in her career. Her routine and neurological examinations were unrevealing, excepting the post-ictal state. A CT of the head and routine laboratory assessment, including a urine drug screen, were normal. She recovered gradually to baseline and was discharged from the emergency department with neurological consultation planned. There were no definite triggers and she had no risk factors for epilepsy. She lived alone but had a steady boyfriend with whom she planned to marry and have children. She was seen for neurological evaluation and discussion of family planning. A brain MRI was performed and was normal. A routine outpatient EEG was performed and showed bursts of generalized anterior-predominant 3 Hz spike-and-slow-waves, consistent with Genetic Generalized Epilepsy (Fig. 23.1). The patient was subsequently started on lamotrigine (LTG) and told to refrain from operating a motor vehicle. During titration of LTG, she experienced a second generalized tonic–clonic seizure 2 weeks later, which occurred at work. Her employer was nervous about her returning to work, due to concerns that she would have a seizure at work, and that a diagnosis of epilepsy would impact her ability to perform her job.
Uncertainty Analysis of the Vertical Aquitard Hydraulic Conductivity in a Leaky Aquifer System

Abstract The Hantush-Jacob solution was developed to predict drawdowns in a leaky aquifer system on the basis of several restrictive assumptions, one of which is that the horizontal hydraulic conductivity (Kr) is equal to the vertical hydraulic conductivity (Kz) in the aquifer (Kr= Kz). This assumption is true only for very rare cases. When Kr ≠ Kz, determined aquifer and aquitard parameters may have uncertainties. This paper analyzes the reliability of the calculated horizontal hydraulic conductivity Kr and storage coefficient S in the aquifer and the vertical hydraulic conductivity K′ in aquitard when the Hantush-Jacob solution is used to analyze pumping test data. One hypothetical time-drawdown data set and another data set from a pumping test were analyzed using the solution. Results from both examples indicate that the Kr and S values are affected very slightly but the K′ value can be very unreliable if Kr ≠ Kz in the aquifer. K′ from the Hantush-Jacob solution is underestimated if Kr> Kz and overestimated if Kr < Kz. The later Hantush solution accounts for the effect of aquifer anisotropy (Kr ≠ Kz) on drawdowns and is able to provide more reliable K′ values.
Characterization of the Nuclear Import and Export Functions of IκBε

Control over the nuclear localization of nuclear factor κB/Rel proteins is accomplished in large part through association with members of the inhibitor of κB (IκB) protein family. For example, the well studied IκBα protein actively shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and both inhibits nuclear import and mediates nuclear export of NF-κB/Rel proteins. In contrast, the IκBβ protein can inhibit nuclear import of NF-κB/Rel proteins but does not remove NF-κB/Rel proteins from the nucleus. To further understand how the IκB proteins control the nuclear-cytoplasmic distribution of NF-κB/Rel proteins, we have characterized the nuclear import and nuclear export functions of IκBe. Our results indicate that the IκBe protein, like the IκBα protein, actively shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Similar to IκBα, nuclear import of IκBe is mediated by its ankyrin repeat domain and is not blocked by the dominant-negative RanQ69L protein. However, the nuclear import function of the IκBe ankyrin repeat domain is markedly less efficient than that of IκBα, with the result that nuclear shuttling of IκBe between the nucleus and the cytoplasm is significantly slower than IκBα. Nuclear export of IκBe is mediated by a short leucine-rich nuclear export sequence (NES)-like sequence (343VLLPFDDLKI352), located between amino acids 343 and 352. This NES-like sequence is required for RanGTP-dependent binding of IκBe to CRM1. Nuclear accumulation of IκBe is increased by either leptomycin B treatment or alanine substitutions within the IκBe-derived NES. A functional NES is required for both efficient cytoplasmic retention and post-induction control of c-Rel by IκBe, consistent with the notion that IκBe-mediated nuclear export contributes to control over the nucleocytoplasmic distribution of NF-κB/Rel proteins.
Peer Contexts in Schools: Avenues Toward Behavioral Health in Early Adolescence

Peer contexts play an important role in the behavioral health of early adolescents in schools. Behavioral health involves the observable academic and social behaviors that relate to and influence youths' subsequent health and development. Setting-level research on peer networks and social norms indicates these aspects of peer contexts vary by peer group, classroom, and school and dynamically relate to individual students' academic and social behaviors. Yet, although peer contexts are both influential and potentially malleable, little research examines the effects of school and classroom interventions on the development and maintenance of positive and productive peer contexts in schools. The current article identifies school structures and classroom processes theorized to directly or indirectly shift peer networks and social norms-and thereby increase the behavioral health of early adolescents in schools. We discuss the need for more rigorous and relevant research to better understand the role of schools and classrooms in strengthening these peer contexts and promoting behavioral health in early adolescence.
The asiA Gene Product of Bacteriophage T4 Is Required for Middle Mode RNA Synthesis

Abstract The asiA gene of bacteriophage T4 encodes a 10-kDa peptide which binds strongly in vitro to the sigma 70 subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, thereby weakening sigma 70-core interactions and inhibiting sigma 70-dependent transcription. To assess the physiological role of this protein, we have introduced an amber mutation into the proximal portion of the asiA gene. On suppressor-deficient hosts, this mutant phage (amS22) produces minute plaques and exhibits a pronounced delay in phage production. During these mutant infections, T4 DNA synthesis is strongly delayed, suggesting that the AsiA protein plays an important role during the prereplicative period of phage T4 development. The kinetics of protein synthesis show clearly that while T4 early proteins are synthesized normally, those expressed primarily via the middle mode exhibit a marked inhibition. In fact, the pattern of protein synthesis after amS22 infection resembles greatly that seen after infection by amG1, an amber mutant in motA, a T4 gene whose product is known to control middle mode RNA synthesis. The amber mutations in the motA and asiA genes complement, both for phage growth and for normal kinetics of middle mode protein synthesis. Furthermore, primer extension analyses show that three different MotA-dependent T4 middle promoters are not recognized after infection by the asiA mutant phage. Thus, in conjunction with the MotA protein, the AsiA protein is required for transcription activation at T4 middle mode promoters.
The middle‐upper paleolithic transition in Europe: An American perspective

A view of the Middle‐Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe is offered from the perspective of Americanist anthropological archaeology. After a brief consideration of how the transition seems to be perceived by many British and Continental workers, patterns in lithic typology and technology, raw material variability, reduction strategies and intensity of site use, blank frequencies; bone, antler and ivory technologies, paleolithic art, subsistence strategies and settlement patterns are reviewed. It is concluded that perceptions of pattern, and what it might mean, are (1) theory‐laden and paradigm dependent, and (2) are almost entirely determined by the relative importance of historicist biases in a particular research tradition, and (3) by preconceptions about the nature of the biological transition between archaic and modern humans.
Application of the complex Poynting theorem to metamaterial multilayered nanostructures

In earlier work, the transfer matrix method (TMM) and the angular plane wave spectrum method (APWS) have been used to analyze plane wave and beam propagation in a multilayer structure consisting of positive index and negative index materials. In this paper, we demonstrate the use the complex Poynting theorem (CPT) to validate numerical calculations by the TMM and APWS methods. Application of CPT also gives physical insight into the power balance inside such structures which may possess complex permittivities and permeabilities, and have propagating and nonpropagating waves.
Design limitations of highly parallel free-space optical interconnects based on arrays of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes, microlenses, and photodetectors

The packing density of a highly parallel free-space multi-stage optical interconnect network involving arrays of vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), microlenses, and photodetectors is analyzed for the first time, based on a crosstalk model involving the diffraction-induced crosstalk among pixels. Variations of channel packing density, interconnection distance, and optical transmission efficiency are evaluated to provide optimum design parameters for the arrays of VCSELs, microlenses, and photodetectors. It is shown that it is pivotal to optimize the photodetector diameter in such an optical interconnect network. Photodetector array misalignment effects on system performance are further investigated, providing both transverse and longitudinal alignment tolerance. Several experiments are also conducted to verify the theory developed herein.
Political competitition and multiparty coalition governments

Abstract. Many previous theoretical analyses of multiparty coalition behaviour have been based either on a one-dimensional policy model or on a constant-sum game interpretation. For theoretical and empirical reasons this paper focusses on a competitive two-dimensional model. In this model parties are concerned with policy outcomes but choose party positions both with a view to electoral consequences and as a basis for coalition bargaining. The political heart is proposed as the set of possible coalition outcomes. The heart is either the core of the political game or is determined by a small number of party positions. Under certain conditions an equilibrium in the choice of party positions can be shown to exist. The model suggests that parties can be categorized as either strong or weak core parties, anti-core parties or peripheral parties. This categorization of parties implies a typology of party systems, which gives some theoretical foundation for the occurrence of minority, minimal winning and surplus coalitions in many of the European countries in the postwar period.
Response of stream macroinvertebrates in flow refugia and high-scour areas to a series of floods: a reciprocal replacement study

AbstractDisturbances from flooding are a dominant feature of the habitat template in streams. Frequent floods created by recreational releases (1–2 d between releases/floods) from Abanakee Dam in the Adirondack Mountains, USA, result in a static mosaic of scoured patches in areas of high shear stress (low diatom densities) and mats of algae in areas of low shear stress (refugia); this pattern is different from the shifting mosaic of patches more typical of streams recovering from floods. Predictable, recreational release floods and similar bed size particle distributions in this stream enabled us to use a reciprocal replacement experiment to examine macroinvertebrate community responses in high scour and flow refugia areas without the confounding variable of different substrata. Trays of substrata were embedded in both high shear stress (HSS) and low shear stress (LSS) areas. Half of the trays from each area were then reciprocally exchanged while resident trays remained in their original positions. After ...
Visualization of Morphological and Molecular Features Associated with Chronic Ischemia in Bioengineered Human Skin

We present an in vitro model of human skin that, together with nonlinear optical microscopy, provides a useful system for characterizing morphological and structural changes in a living skin tissue microenvironment due to changes in oxygen status and proteolytic balance. We describe for the first time the effects of chronic oxygen deprivation on a bioengineered model of human interfollicular epidermis. Histological analysis and multiphoton imaging revealed a progressively degenerating ballooning phenotype of the keratinocytes that manifested after 48 h of hypoxic exposure. Multiphoton images of the dermal compartment revealed a decrease in collagen structural order. Immunofluorescence analysis showed changes in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 protein spatial localization in the epidermis with a shift to the basal layer, and loss of Ki67 expression in proliferative basal cells after 192 h of hypoxic exposure. Upon reoxygenation MMP-2 mRNA levels showed a biphasic response, with restoration of MMP-2 levels and localization. These results indicate that chronic oxygen deprivation causes an overall degeneration in tissue architecture, combined with an imbalance in proteolytic expression and a decrease in proliferative capacity. We propose that these tissue changes are representative of the ischemic condition and that our experimental model system is appropriate for addressing mechanisms of susceptibility to chronic wounds.
Shear zones within the Bloody Bluff fault zone: Analysis and tectonic implications

Abstract The Bloody Bluff fault zone, which divides the New England Avalon zone and Nashoba zone, contains at least two shear zones that are within Avalonian rocks. The Rice Road shear zone (sinistral, strike-slip) affects the Westboro Formation and is intruded by the 630 Ma Dedham Granite. The Rice Road shear zone, and equivalent pre-granite mylonites appearing in drill cores, parallel the terrane boundary, and may have controlled the later mylonitization. The Nobscot shear zone (dextral, strike-slip) is a prograde shear zone cutting a granite assumed to be related to the surrounding 630 Ma plutons. Similar shear zones have been seen cutting Late Proterozoic plutons in the New England Avalon zone, and represent a series of en echelon strike-slip shears. The Burlington mylonite zone (shear sense equivocal) is part of the terrane boundary. This is a retrograde shear zone that forms the southeastern border of the Wolfpen lens, a lenticular body of sheared and altered metamorphic and intrusive rock that has been assumed to be part of the New England Avalon zone. Microstructural characteristics indicate that the Burlington mylonite zone was active after the Nobscot shear zone. In particular, quartz in the Nobscot shear zone was dynamically recrystallized by a combination of grain boundary migration and rotation recrystallization processes, thought to occur during shearing at upper-greenschist conditions. In contrast, quartz in the Burlington mylonite zone was recrystallized predominantly by rotation recrystallization, indicating lower-greenschist, retrograde, deformation. The two shear zones are too close for these differences to be a result of a simple thermal field gradient. While mineral assemblages in most of the study area indicate no metamorphic grade higher than upper-greenschist temperatures, the Wolfpen lens contains amphibolites with assemblages formed at temperatures above the oligoclase isograd, indicating mid-amphibolite facies metamorphism. As metamorphic contrast is one of the key features differentiating the Nashoba zone from the New England Avalon zone, the Wolfpen lens cannot be assumed to be part of Avalon. It may be a small block of rocks of intermediate grade between the two terranes.
Systematic Evaluation of Nanomaterial Toxicity: Utility of Standardized Materials and Rapid Assays

The challenge of optimizing both performance and safety in nanomaterials hinges on our ability to resolve which structural features lead to desired properties. It has been difficult to draw meaningful conclusions about biological impacts from many studies of nanomaterials due to the lack of nanomaterial characterization, unknown purity, and/or alteration of the nanomaterials by the biological environment. To investigate the relative influence of core size, surface chemistry, and charge on nanomaterial toxicity, we tested the biological response of whole animals exposed to a matrix of nine structurally diverse, precision-engineered gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of high purity and known composition. Members of the matrix include three core sizes and four unique surface coatings that include positively and negatively charged headgroups. Mortality, malformations, uptake, and elimination of AuNPs were all dependent on these parameters, showing the need for tightly controlled experimental design and nanomaterial c...
The value of multiple independent robot arms

Abstract When multiple independent robot arms attempt to perform concurrent operations at the same work cell, spatial interference imposes limits on the degree of parallelism that can be achieved. It is shown that as the number of independent arms approaches infinity, the degree of parallelism is bounded. Mathematical limiting values are derived for the extent of parallelism for two cases of an idealized simplistic application. The main value of these results is to demonstrate that under conditions of spatial contention, there is little merit in having more than two independent arms at a work cell. Designing the work cell to reduce contention increases the value of multiple independent arms.
Trace gas detection in the mid-IR with a compact PPLN-based cavity ring-down spectrometer

The development of a mid-infrared cavity ringdown spectrometer for trace gas measurements is described. The device employs a novel light source based on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN). Narrow linewidth (<EQ 0.08 cm-1 FWHM) mid-infrared radiation (at energies up to 15 (mu) J) is generated by three serial elements: a broadband optical parametric generator, a tunable spectral filter, and an optical parametric amplifier. Currently, spectral filtering is accomplished by an air-spaced Fabry-Perot etalon that allows 15 cm-1 of narrowband continuous tuning anywhere between 6200 - 6780 cm-1 and 3200 - 2620 cm-1. This can, in principle, be extended to the entire PPLN transparency window (2220 - 7690 cm-1) using multiple PPLN crystals and a suitable tuning element. The high gain of PPLN allows pumping by compact, high-repetition-rate solid-state laser sources, thereby minimizing the sensor size and allowing rapid spectral scans. Operation is demonstrated using both a 1 kHz Nd:YAG and a novel 120 Hz passively Q-switched Nd:YAG microlaser. Performance of the cavity ringdown sensor is characterized in terms of sensitivity, spectral coverage (segmented scans up to 350 cm-1 long), measurement speed, and measurements in the presence of atmospheric background gases. Issues relevant to the ultimate portable implementation of the sensor are addressed, including the use of two alternative frequency filtering/tuning mechanisms (a fiber-optic etalon and an acousto-optically tunable filter plus an air-speed etalon) and implementation of frequency calibration.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Studies of Experimental Pulmonary Edema. I. Pulmonary Edema from lEpinephrine and i-nor-Epinephrine (Arterenol).

Summary1. As measured by lung weight a lesser degree of pulmonary edema is produced by toxic doses of l-nor-epinephrine than smaller but toxic doses of l-epinephrine.2. N-(9-fluorenyl)-N-ethyl-β-chlorethylamine. A β-haloakylamine adrenergic blocking agent. Prevents all symptoms and the development of pulmonary edema dur to toxic doses of either l-epinephrine or l-nor-epinephrine.
Bounds on the shear modulus of composites by interface integral methods

Abstract T he s tructural parameter η 2 enters into third-order bounds on the effective shear modulus of twocomponent composites. Its definition is often given as an integral over correlation functions. We show how to express η 2 as an integral over the component interfaces. This leads to substantial simplifications from a numerical viewpoint. For the simple hexagonal array of disks we give η 2 to double precision accuracy for any volume fraction. In the past only one accurate digit, or less, has been achieved for this geometry. We also discuss how to apply the fast multipole method to make possible the calculation of η 2 for suspensions with thousands of disks per unit cell and for composites with arbitrary geometries.
Ultrafast investigations of the photophysics of 4-phenylbenzophenone in solution

Abstract Transient absorption experiments were used for ultrafast studies of intramolecular energy transfer in 4-phenylbenzophenone (PBP) in solution. Previous experiments suggested that triplet–triplet energy transfer occurs between the benzophenone and biphenyl chromophores. This mechanism is investigated and a new model involving a phenyl ring isomerization is discussed. The intersystem crossing time is found to be identical within error in benzophenone and PBP. Unlike benzophenone, PBP can undergo a structural change in the excited state which shuts off the intersystem crossing due to the significant decrease in potential energy of the S 1 state. This drop in energy also decreases the S 1 –S 0 energy gap, enhancing internal conversion significantly over benzophenone.
Roles of unfrozen fraction, salt concentration, and changes in cell volume in the survival of frozen human erythrocytes

The cause of slow freezing injury and the basis of the protection by solutes like glycerol are subjects of debate. During slow freezing, cells are sequestered in unfrozen channels between ice crystals that grow by removing pure water from the channels. As a consequence, the solute concentration in the channels rises and the volume of liquid in the channels progressively decreases. The rise in solute concentration, in turn, causes the cells to progressively shrink osmotically. Until recently cryobiologists have ascribed slow freezing injury to either the rise in solute (electrolyte) concentrations in the channels or to the consequent cell shrinkage, rather than to the decrease in the of the channels. Although ordinarily reciprocally coupled, it is possible to separate the composition of the channels from their size, or more precisely from the magnitude of the unfrozen fraction, by suspending cells in NaCl/cryoprotectant solutions in which the mole ratio of the two is held constant, but the molality of the NaCl is allowed to vary below and above isotonic. When human red cells are frozen in such solutions to temperatures that produce given NaCl concentrations (ms), but varying unfrozen fractions (U), survival at low U is found to be strongly dependent on U but independent of ms. At higher values of U, survival becomes inversely dependent on both ms and U. Although cell volume during freezing is independent of the NaCl tonicity in the solution, the cells in the several solutions differ in volume both prior to the onset of freezing and after the completion of thawing. We have now examined and compared the effect of returning the thawed cells to isotonic solutions and isotonic volume or nearly so, and find that there is little change in survival after exposure to low U, but that survival after exposure to high U values exhibits substantially increased sensitivity to ms, a sensitivity that is probably a manifestation of posthypertonic hemolysis. Low values of U were in general attained by the use of solutions with low tonicities of NaCl, and as a consequence cells frozen to low U values had larger volumes prior to freezing than cells frozen to higher U values. The significance of this confounding is discussed.
Antioxidant Activity in Dried Orange

The antioxidant properties of ground, dried orange when incor porated into ground beef were studied. The 2-thiobarbituric acid test indicated that at the 3% and 7% levels, by weight, dried orange reduced rancidity development in both frozen and unfrozen cooked meats but not in raw meats. in a second test photometric measurements showed carotene bleaching and thus oxidation to be reduced by a methanol extract of the dried orange. Compounds responsible for antioxidant activity were not identified.
Transforming Growth Factor β Activation of c-Abl Is Independent of Receptor Internalization and Regulated by Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase and PAK2 in Mesenchymal Cultures

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) modulates a number of cellular phenotypes as divergent as growth stimulation and growth inhibition. Although the Smad pathway is critical for many of these responses, recent evidence indicates that Smad-independent pathways may also have a critical role. One such protein previously shown to regulate TGF-β action independent of the Smad proteins is the c-Abl nonreceptor tyrosine kinase. In the current study we determined that TGF-β receptor signaling activates c-Abl kinase activity in a subset of fibroblast but not epithelial cultures. This cell type-specific response occurs in a membrane-proximal locale independent of receptor internalization and upstream of dynamin action. Although c-Abl activation by TGF-β is independent of Smad2 or Smad3, it is prevented by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or PAK2. Thus, c-Abl represents a target downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-activated PAK2, which differentiates TGF-β signaling in fibroblasts and epithelial cell lines and integrates serine/threonine receptor kinases with tyrosine kinase pathways.
Effect of Geometry and Operating Conditions on Spur Gear System Power Loss

The results of an analysis of the effects of spur gear size, pitch, width, and ratio on total mesh power loss for a wide range of speeds, torques, and oil viscosities are presented. The analysis uses simple algebraic expressions to determine gear sliding, rolling, and windage losses and also incorporates an approximate ball bearing power loss expression. The analysis shows good agreement with published data. Large diameter and fine pitched gears had higher peak efficiencies but low part load efficiency. Gear efficiencies were generally greater than 98 percent except at very low torque levels. Tare (no-load) losses are generally a significant percentage of the full load loss except at low speeds.
Understanding the Transport of Patagonian Dust and Its Influence on Marine Biological Activity in the South Atlantic Ocean

Modeling and remote sensing techniques were applied to examine the horizontal and vertical transport pathways of Patagonian dust and quantify the effect of soluble-iron- laden mineral dust deposition on marine primary productivity in the South Atlantic Ocean (SAO) surface waters. The global chemistry transport model GEOS-Chem, implemented with an iron dissolution scheme, was applied to evaluate the atmospheric transport and deposition of mineral dust and bioavailable iron during two dust outbreaks originating in the source regions of Patagonia. In addition to this "rapidly released" iron, offline calculations were also carried out to estimate the amount of bioavailable iron leached during the residence time of dust in the ocean mixed layer. Model simulations showed that the horizontal and vertical transport pathways of Patagonian dust plumes were largely influenced by the synoptic meteorological patterns of high and low pressure systems. Model-predicted horizontal and vertical transport pathways of Patagonian dust over the SAO were in reasonable agreement with remotely-sensed data. Comparison between remotely-sensed and offline calculated ocean surface chlorophyll-a concentrations indicated that, for the two dust outbreaks examined in this study, the deposition of bioavailable iron in the SAO through atmospheric pathways was insignificant. As the two dust transport episodes examined here represent typical outflows of mineral dust from South American sources, our study suggests that the atmospheric deposition of mineral dust is unlikely to induce large scale marine primary productivity and carbon sequestration in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean.
The role of intelligence on performance on the Inventory of Legal Knowledge (ILK)

Previous research has shown that individuals with intellectual disabilities perform in the feigning range on malingering measures even when other data suggest that they are performing optimally. However, few studies to date have gone beyond intellectual disabilities and studied the full range of intelligence. Additionally, there are no data available examining the relationship between intelligence and performance on the Inventory of Legal Knowledge (ILK). The relationship between intelligence and performance on malingering tests is important because individuals with intellectual deficits may be incorrectly identified as malingering on these tests. The current study used a sample of state psychiatric hospital residents, adjudicated incompetent to proceed, and a sample of undergraduate university students to examine the relationship between intelligence and performance on the ILK. Results indicated three items on the ILK are correlated with intelligence and total scores were moderately correlated. Participa...
Farm Tractor Safety in Kentucky, 1995

OBJECTIVE: Tractor rollovers are a major cause of farm injuries and fatalities. The authors used data from a statewide surveillance study to estimate the prevalence of safety features such as rollover protective structures, seat belts, and power take-off shields on farm tractors in Kentucky. METHODS: Using data from the Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project, the authors report on the prevalence of farm tractor safety features by size of farm, by region of the state, by number of tractors per farm, and by tractor age and estimate the prevalence of tractors equipped with rollover protection by region and for the state as a whole. RESULTS: Of the estimated 85,446 family-owned farms in Kentucky with at least one tractor, an estimated 55.6%, or 47,515 farms, do not have a tractor equipped with a rollover protective structure. Few tractors that are 10 years old or older were found to be equipped with seat belts; no tractors that were more than 20 years old were equipped with seat belts. CONCLUSIONS: Kentucky, with an estimated 25 to 30 tractor-related fatalities each year, may contribute up to 20% of the total number of farm tractor fatalities in the nation. The overall prevalence of rollover protective structures on tractors in Kentucky is lower than estimates for other states as reported in national survey data. The study's findings suggest the need to target smaller farms with one or two tractors for retrofitting of rollover protective structures and for tractor safety programs.
Autobiographical Memory of School

Two studies based in the autobiographical memory paradigm were conducted to extend knowledge of recollections about school. In Study 1, undergraduates wrote 1 pleasant memory and 1 unpleasant memory about each of 4 grade levels. Memories from some categories decreased across grades, whereas others increased. More than twice as many memories were social as opposed to academic. Gender effects, causal agents, and event salience were reported. In Study 2, undergraduates wrote 8 recollections, unconstrained by grade or affect. There was a recency effect, and memories most frequently concerned misfortunes, sports, misbehavior, honors, and boy-girl relationships. Only 13% of the reported memories were academic. Future investigation might probe reasons for the dominance of unpleasant memories from the early grades as well as the paucity of academic memories of schooling.