cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of a dispersion of Al2O3 on the second- or higher-order phase transition temperature in AgI

Abstract In pure AgI, there is a second- or higher-order phase transition β−γ, reported to occur at 90°C. Our conductivity measurements show this transition at 88°C. The addition of a dispersion of insoluble Al2O3 particles of 0.06 μm size shifts this transition to higher temperatures, the shift being approximately proportional to the surface area of the added Al2O3.
Phosphatidic Acid Binds to Cytosolic Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase and Promotes Its Cleavage in Arabidopsis

Phosphatidic acid (PA) is a class of lipid messengers involved in a variety of physiological processes. To understand how PA mediates cell functions in plants, we used a PA affinity membrane assay to isolate PA-binding proteins from Camelina sativa followed by mass spectrometric sequencing. A cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPC) was identified to bind to PA, and detailed analysis was carried out subsequently using GAPC1 and GAPC1 from Arabidopsis. The PA and GAPC binding was abolished by the cation zinc whereas oxidation of GAPCs promoted the PA binding. PA had little impact on the GAPC catalytic activity in vitro, but the PA treatment of Arabidopsis seedlings induced proteolytic cleavage of GAPC2 and inhibited Arabidopsis seedling growth. The extent of PA inhibition was greater in GAPC-overexpressing than wild-type seedlings, but the greater PA inhibition was abolished by application of zinc to the seedling. The PA treatment also reduced the expression of genes involved in PA synthesis and utilization, and the PA-reduced gene expression was partially recovered by zinc treatment. These data suggest that PA binds to oxidized GAPDH and promotes its cleavage and that the PA and GAPC interaction may provide a signaling link coordinating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
High-field electrostriction of elastomeric polymer dielectrics for actuation

This paper investigates the use of elastomeric dielectric materials with compliant electrodes as a means of actuation. When a voltage is applied to the electrodes, the elastomeric films expand in area and compress in thickness. The strain response to applied electric fields was measured for a variety of elastomers. A nonlinear high-strain Mooney-Rivlin model was used to determine the expected strain response for a given applied field pressure. Using this model, we determined that the electrostatic forces between the free charges on the electrodes are responsible for the observed response. Silicone polymers have produced the best combination of high strain and energy density, with strains exceeding 30% and energy densities up to 0.15 MJ/m3. Based on the electrostatic model, the electromechanical coupling efficiency is over 50%. This paper also reports recent progress in making highly compliant electrodes. We have shown, for example, that gold traces fabricated in a zig-zag pattern on silicone EPAM retain their conductivity when stretched up to 80% compared to 1 - 5% when fabricated as a uniform 2-dimensional electrode. Lastly, the paper presents the performance of various actuators that use EPAM materials. The technology appears to be well-suited for a variety of small-scale actuator applications.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Thermal Regulation and Habitat use of the Eastern Box Turtle in Southwestern Virginia

Abstract While Terrapene Carolina Carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) are found over a wide geographic range, they appear to select microhabitats based on the need for thermoregulation, minimization of water loss, and reproduction. Habitat selection and the activity patterns of Eastern Box Turtles in southwestern Virginia were studied in relation to short-term weather conditions and seasonal variation. Turtles were located using telemetry 36% of the time in the interior of mature forest habitats, 23% in edge habitats, 18% in fields, 7% in a 22-year-old Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine) plantation, 7% in forest canopy gaps, 5% in a 4-year-old clearcut, and 4% in streams. We observed a seasonal shift in habitat use, with more turtles using mature forest habitat compared to other habitat types in all months, except for May when 47% of all turtles were located in edge habitat. Also, Eastern Box Turtles often selected canopy gaps within forests during the fall, and females moved from forests to recent clearcuts dur...
Attractiveness of Child Care and Related Employer-Supported Benefits and Policies to Married and Single Parents

Changing demographics in the family and in the labor force necessitate creative solutions to the child care coordination problems that face employed parents with young children. The present study explores the appeal to 321 employed parents of various corporate-supported benefits and policies that enable parents to coordinate employment and child care. Major findings from the survey were that fathers as well as single and married mothers find corporate assistance with family matters to be desirable. Employer-supported child care benefits and work schedule policies could motivate a sizable number of employed parents to change jobs in order to receive such assistance. Parents' satisfaction with corporate benefits and policies are related to their job satisfaction, organizational commitment, experience of role strain, and frequency of health symptoms.
Maximum lifetime of reinforced barrier-coverage in Wireless Sensor Networks

A subset of sensors in wireless sensor networks provides barrier-coverage over an area of interest if the sensor nodes are dividing the area into two regions such that any object moving from one region to another is guaranteed to be detected by a sensor. In many practical scenarios, it may be desirable to detect an intruder that enters the region through any of its sides and exits through any other of its sides. That is, not only detect top-down movement, but also side-to-side, and even turn from one side to another. In this paper, we introduce a new barrier-coverage problem whose objective is to maximize the network lifetime such that any penetration of the intruder is detected. To solve the problem, we create a new form of sensor barriers, which we refer to as reinforced barriers, which can detect any movement variation of the attacker. Also, we propose three approaches to obtain these barriers from a given layout of sensor nodes, and we then compare their relative performances through extensive simulations.
Inhibition of apparent photosynthesis by nitrogen oxides.

Abstract The nitrogen oxides (NO2 and NO) inhibited apparent photosynthesis of oats and alfalfa at concentrations below those required to cause visible injury. There appeared to be a threshold concentration of about 0.6 ppm for each pollutant. An additive effect in depressing apparent photosynthesis occurred when the plants were exposed to a mixture of NO and NO2. Although NO produced a more rapid effect on the plants, lower concentrations of NO2 were required to cause a given inhibition after 2 hr of exposure. Inhibition by nitric oxide was more closely related to its partial pressure than was inhibition by NO2.
On the theory of layered high-temperature superconductors: Finite temperature properties

We extend the study of a model for layered high-temperature superconductors to finite temperatures. The model assumes Fermi liquid properties for the carriers, which form a narrow tight-binding band. The carriers are subject to on-site intralayer and nearest neighbor interlayer interactions. The previous studies of the zero temperature properties, revealing remarkable agreement with experimental data, are extended to finite temperatures. These properties include the tunneling conductance for diffuse and specular transmission in a normal isolator superconductor junction, specific heat, nuclear spin relaxation time and the London penetration depth. Our results are compared with experimental findings.
Livedo reticularis in a patient with pheochromocytoma resolving after adrenalectomy.

A24-year-old man presented with 2 years of treatmentresistant hypertension, headaches, palpitations, and sweats. One year earlier at an outside hospital, he was found to have elevated urine metanephrines, although an abdominal computed tomography scan and I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy were unrevealing. He was lost to medical follow-up until he presented to this clinic with similar symptoms as well as a fixed livedoid rash on his back and limbs (Figure 1A), which had developed several months prior. Initial labs revealed elevated total serum metanephrines of 4302 pg/mL (normal, 206 pg/mL) and normetanephrines of 4258 pg/mL (normal, 149 pg/mL), as well as total 24-hour urine metanephrines of 9256 g (normal, 600 g). An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a 3.5-cm right adrenal masswithnoevidenceofmetastases,andrepeatI-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy now demonstrated decreased right adrenal uptake consistent with necrosis. As thyroid ultrasoundshowednosuspicious lesionsandthepatienthadnosuggestive family history, testing for multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes was not pursued. He underwent right adrenalectomywithresolutionofhis symptoms, improvement inhis rash (Figure 1B), and normalization of metanephrine levels (total serum metanephrines 256 pg/mL, normetanephrines 256 pg/ mL). Pathology demonstrated neoplastic neurosecretory cells characteristic of pheochromocytes. Livedo reticularis, a rash that arises when arteriolar vasospasm leads to pooling of blood in surrounding venules, has rarely been described in conjunction with pheochromocytoma (1, 2). Indeed, the typical rash of pheochromocytoma is an intermittentfacialflushingassociatedwithsymptomaticcatecholamine release. There is a growing body of literature describing fixed lesions that resolve with treatment of pheochromocytoma. In addition to livedo reticularis, these lesions include livedo racemosa, Raynaud’s phenomenon (1, 2), nodular and macular rashes, Addisonian discoloration (3), and hypochromic lesions or necrotic ulcerative lesions (4, 5). Of note, several of these conditions are physiologically akin to livedo reticularis (specifically livedo racemosa, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and possibly ulceration) in that they arise from vasospasm with or without local hyperviscosity and thrombosis. It is possible that intermittent catecholamine release results in increased vasomotor tone, viscosity, and hypercoagulability, leading to these protean cutaneous manifestations.
On the synthesis of a bio-inspired dual-cellular fluidic flexible matrix composite adaptive structure based on a non-dimensional dynamics model

A recent study investigated the dynamic characteristics of an adaptive structure concept featuring dual fluidic flexible matrix composite (F2MC) cells inspired by the configuration of plant cells and cell walls. This novel bio-inspired system consists of two F2MC cells with different fiber angles connected through internal fluid circuits. It was discovered that the dual F2MC cellular structure can be characterized as a two degree of freedom damped mass–spring oscillator, and can be utilized as a vibration absorber or an enhanced actuator under different operation conditions. These results demonstrated that the concept is promising and further investigations are needed to develop methodologies for synthesizing future multi-cellular F2MC structural systems.While interesting, the previous study focused on specific case studies and analysis. That is, the outcome did not provide insight that could be generalized, or tools for synthesizing a multiple F2MC cellular structure. This paper attempts to address this important issue by developing a non-dimensional dynamic model, which reveals good physical insights as well as identifying crucial constitutive parameters for F2MC cellular design. Working with these parameters, rather than physical variables, can greatly simplify the mathematics involved in the study. A synthesis tool is then developed for the dual-cellular structure, and it is found that for each set of achievable target poles and zero, there exist multiple F2MC cellular designs, forming a design space. The presented physical insights and synthesis tool for the dual-cellular structure will be the building blocks for future investigation on cellular structures with a larger number of cells.
Reversal of suprascapular neuropathy following arthroscopic repair of massive supraspinatus and infraspinatus rotator cuff tears.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to study the prevalence of suprascapular neuropathy (SSN) in the setting of massive rotator cuff tears and to determine if arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, even if partial, was associated with reversal of SSN and clinical improvement in pain and function. Methods: Over a 13-month period, 26 of 216 patients with rotator cuff tears treated operatively were identified to have massive tears associated with retraction and moderate to severe fatty infiltration of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles. All patients had pain and marked weakness in abduction and external rotation which did not improve with conservative treatment. Electrodiagnostic electromyographic/nerve conduction velocity (EMG/NCV) evaluation, as well as pre- and postoperative questionnaire and physical examination, were performed. An arthroscopic repair, either partial or complete, was performed on patients identified to have a massive rotator cuff tear in association with SSN. Results: Fourteen of 26 patients with massive rotator cuff tears (54%) were identified to have a peripheral nerve injury. Seven of these 26 (38%) had isolated suprascapular nerve injury, 4 had axillary nerve injury, 2 had an associated upper trunk brachial plexus injury, and 1 had a cervical radiculopathy. All 7 patients with isolated suprascapular injury underwent arthroscopic treatment, 1 of which was not technically reparable at the time of surgery. In the 6 patients who underwent either partial or complete arthroscopic repair, follow-up EMG/NCV after 6 months demonstrated partial or full recovery of the suprascapular nerve palsy that correlated with complete pain relief and marked improvement in function. Conclusions: SSN is found in a significant proportion of patients with massive rotator cuff tears, and is associated with pain and dysfunction. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair can result in reversal of SSN, which may correlate with substantial improvement in pain and function. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.
Atmospheric-induced frequency fluctuations along slant paths

The authors have recently developed analytical expressions governing atmospheric induced frequency fluctuations of an optical signal along a horizontal path. Expressions valid in conditions of weak irradiance fluctuations were derived using the Rytov approximation and extended to conditions of moderate to strong irradiance fluctuations via an effective atmospheric spectral model. However, many optical systems, such as coherent ground to satellite communication, imaging, and astronomical systems, operate in a slant path setting. In this paper, the horizontal path frequency variance results have been extended to slant path scenarios. Integral expressions for one-way slant path, both uplink and downlink, are presented. Additionally graphical results for various operational settings are also provided.
On The Reliability of Collaboration and Coordination of Unmanned Vehicle Network

There has been increasing interest during the last several years in the development of unmanned vehicles. A large number of such vehicles are soon going to play a major role in defense and security in a battlefield environment. The objective of the present paper is to ascertain the overall reliability of a large number of unmanned vehicles in the battlefield. The problem is broken up into two parts, collaboration and coordination of unmanned vehicle network. Collaboration is the communication between a set of unmanned vehicles which are likely to move in a group. Coordination is the movement of one group of unmanned vehicle from one source node to another destination node keeping in view the obstacles and the difficulties in the movement of path. This paper utilizes the existing well known techniques in the literature for finding the node and terminal reliabilities. These can further be used to obtain the system reliability of unmanned vehicle network. Fuzzy rules based on experience from past are suggested for the implementations. A simulation of ground vehicle network having node, branch and terminal simulations is given. It is hoped that the technique proposed here will prove useful in developing future approaches for ascertaining overall reliability of unmanned ground networks.
Token representation in the CPSU central committee

THE ELECTION of the Central Committee (CC) of the CPSU at the XXVIII Congress in July 1990 furthered the dramatic shifts in the pattern of institutional representation that were begun in earnest at the April 1989 CC plenum. The current mix of institutional representation within the ranks of the CC represents a significant departure from past patterns and reflects the continued critical nature of this phase of the party's history. The primary impact of the April 1989 plenum centred on the retirement of 74 members and 24 candidate members who had since the XXVII Congress lost the administrative posts that had determined their ex officio membership. The removal of these 'dead souls' reduced the size of the CC to its smallest total in
Effect of Fiber on Cholesterol Metabolism in the Coturnix Quail

This experiment involving 288 Coturnix quail was conducted to determine the effects of various fiber sources (alfalfa, wheat bran, dried brewer's grain, cellulose, and pectin) on serum, liver and egg yolk cholesterol, and egg production. The fiber sources were added at a rate to provide 6.25% fiber to a corn-soybean meal diet and fed for a 28-day experimental period. Serum, liver, and egg cholesterol levels were measured as pen composite samples at the end of the experimental period. No difference was exhibited in egg yolk cholesterol among any of the groups (P greater than .10). Liver and serum cholesterol levels were elevated in the birds fed the pectin and wheat brain diets as compared with that in birds fed the other fiber source; also, metabolizable energy intakes and eggs per hen day (EHD) were decreased for both groups. When data were adjusted for EHD by covariance analysis, the treatment differences no longer appeared (P greater than .05). These results indicate that 1) there is a basal quantity of cholesterol deposited in the egg on which fiber intake, energy consumed, or egg production have very little effect and that 2) there is an inverse relationship between serum and tissue cholesterol levels and the total quantity of cholesterol excreted via the egg.
Enantioselective route from carbohydrates to cyclooctane polyols.

A synthetic route to select cyclooctane-1,2,3-triols and 1,2,3,4,5-pentaols has been defined. The starting materials are d-glucose or d-arabinose, and the key steps consist of a zirconocene-promote...
Enhancement of Hypoxemia by Atrial Shunting in Cystic Fibrosis

Patients with CF may develop hypoxemia which seems disproportionate to the degree of pulmonary disease. In a series of patients with CF and advanced pulmonary disease undergoing transesophageal echocardiography for the evaluation of cor pulmonale, eight of 15 patients were found to have atrial shunts through a stretched foramen ovale. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of intracardiac shunting in CF. This phenomenon may account for unexplained levels of cyanosis and worsening of hypoxemia with exercise, vasodilators, or PEEP and poses the threat of paradoxic emboli when central venous lines are used in these patients.
The Quantocks: Biography of an English Region. Peter Haggett, with photographs by Jackie Haggett. Chew Magna, Somerset, UK: The Point Walter Press, 2012. xii and 211 pp., maps, photos, color plates, diagrs., illus., notes, place index. £20.00 paper (ISBN 978-0-9573352-0-2)

The city of Bristol is one hundred miles west of London, near the head of the Bristol Channel. Fifty miles southwest of Bristol are the Quantock Hills, country cousins of mighty Exmoor to the west....
Intramolecular Disulfide Bond between Catalytic Cysteines in an Intein Precursor

Protein splicing is a self-catalyzed and spontaneous post-translational process in which inteins excise themselves out of precursor proteins while the exteins are ligated together. We report the first discovery of an intramolecular disulfide bond between the two active-site cysteines, Cys1 and Cys+1, in an intein precursor composed of the hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus abyssi PolII intein and extein. The existence of this intramolecular disulfide bond is demonstrated by the effect of reducing agents on the precursor, mutagenesis, and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) with tandem MS (MS/MS) of the tryptic peptide containing the intramolecular disulfide bond. The disulfide bond inhibits protein splicing, and splicing can be induced by reducing agents such as tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP). The stability of the intramolecular disulfide bond is enhanced by electrostatic interactions between the N- and C-exteins but is reduced by elevated temperature. The presence of this intramolecular disul...
Equilibration of airway pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure with valsalva's maneuver during right heart catheterization in patients with congestive heart failure

Background: With the development of permanently implanted intra-cardiac pressure monitoring devices the necessity to perform accurate noninvasive calibration is paramount to appropriate monitoring and management of patients with congestive heart failure. Our goal in this study was to see if airway pressures (AP) could accurately reflect intra-cardiac pressures. Methods: Valsalva’s maneuver was performed during right heart catheterization. The AP and pulmonary capillary wedge (PCW) were measured simultaneously during Valsalva. Patients with PCW greater than 20 were defined as decompensated and were treated with intravenous nitrates. Results: 34 of 39 patients successfully performed the maneuver. 14 patients were NYHA class III and 11 were class IV. 10 patients had a baseline PCW greater than 20 mm Hg. From seconds 4 to 9 of the plateau phase of the Valsalva maneuver the average difference in PCW and AP was 3.04( / 0.46) mm (N 34, 96 recordings). In patients with PCW greater than 20mm Hg the average difference in PCW and AP was 4.69 ( / 0.85) mm Hg. After treatment with intravenous nitrates the difference decreased to 2.06( / 0.72) mm Hg. In patients with PCW 20 the average difference in PCW and AP was 2.01 ( / 0.47) mm Hg. There was no difference in PCW-AP between compensated and decompensated patients after treatment with nitrates (P NS). Conclusions: During the plateau phase of the Valsalva maneuver, pressure is equally transmitted across all chambers of the heart and the great vessels. Airway pressure closely correlates with intra-cardiac pressure during the plateau phase of the Valsalva maneuver and can be utilized to calibrate permanently implanted intra-cardiac pressure monitoring devices. 039
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the holocaust, and modernity's rescue rhetorics

This essay provides a rhetorical analysis of the third FDR administration's handling of information on the Holocaust during World War II, and the memories that we have of those events. The author contends that a study of key rhetorical histories shows how President Roosevelt and his advisers had a great deal of information about Hitler's Final Solution, and that they were not as indifferent as we have made them out to be. Between 1940 and 1944, FDR's administrators decided to treat the winning of the war as the ultimate form of rescue, but the purveyors of today's rescue rhetorics contend that Roosevelt's supporters neglected to consider alternate plans for massive rescue missions or negotiations with the enemy.
Using the Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS) for resource description: guidelines and applications

This paper describes the Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS), its accompanying documentation and some of its applications. It reviews the MODS user guidelines provided by the Library of Congress and how they enable a user of the schema to consistently apply MODS as a metadata scheme. Because the schema itself could not fully document appropriate usage, the guidelines provide element definitions, history, relationships with other elements, usage conventions, and examples. Short descriptions of some MODS applications are given and a more detailed discussion of its use in the Library of Congress’s Minerva project for Web archiving is given.
Riley and Cohen: Investment managers

Riley and Cohen, a new, small firm of investment managers, is facing a series of ethical dilemmas. In each case the members of the firm must choose between taking an action which will help insure their survival as a firm or rejecting the action because of moral considerations. One group of such actions may involve the possibility of direct unethical behavior by the new firm, as payment of a bribe, providing a client with an “escort” service, and making an undesirable political contribution. Another group of problems deals with how their investment decisions should be influenced by their personal values and those of their clients. These cases include investments in firms which produce condoms or cigarettes, practice abortion, discriminate against women and religious groups, do business with South Africa or the Soviet Union, or are involved in gambling. A consultant will make recommendations to Riley and Cohen about what to do, but ultimately the decision is theirs.
High-sensitivity determination of birefringence in turbid media with enhanced polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography provides high-resolution cross-sectional characterization of birefringence in turbid media. Weakly birefringent biological tissues such as the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) require advanced speckle noise reduction for high-sensitivity measurement of form birefringence. We present a novel method for high-sensitivity birefringence quantification by using enhanced polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (EPS-OCT) and introduce the polarimetric signal-to-noise ratio, a mathematical tool for analyzing speckle noise in polarimetry. Multiple incident polarization states and nonlinear fitting of normalized Stokes vectors allow determination of retardation with ±1° uncertainty with invariance to unknown unitary polarization transformations. Results from a weakly birefringent turbid film and in vivo primate RNFL are presented. In addition, we discuss the potential of EPS-OCT for noninvasive quantification of intracellular filamentous nanostructures, such as neurotubules in the RNFL that are lost during the progression of glaucoma.
Curriculum Mapping and Instructional Supervision

The primary purpose of curriculum mapping is to have a written record of what is being taught in the classroom. White the lesson plan docu ments what a teacher intends to teach, the curriculum map logs what is actually taught.
Sequences on the N-terminus of ACh receptor subunits regulate their assembly.

Abstract Mutant α subunits of Torpedo acetylcholine receptors (AChR) were constructed and expressed in Xenopus oocytes together with other normal subunits to investigate regions in the subunit that are required for subunit assembly. I have found that chimeric α subunits, consisting of the N-terminal extracellular domain of the AChR α subunit, followed either by the hydrophobic transmembrane segments of GABA A receptor or glutamate receptor subunits, were still recognized as the AChR subunit and associated with co-expressed other normal AChR subunits, suggesting that this part of the N-terminal extracellular domain contains ‘assembly signals’.
Utilization of deoxyribonucleoside diphosphates by toluene-treated Escherichia coli cells lacking deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase I.

Abstract Toluene-treated Escherichia coli cells lacking DNA polymerase I utilize dADP, dCDP, dGDP, and dTDP in the presence of Mn 2+ . Mg 2+ cannot replace Mn 2+ . The cells utilize dADP, dCDP, dGDP, or dTDP in the absence of the other three. ATP is not required. The nucleoside triphosphate-generating systems, phosphoenolpyruvate-pyruvate kinase or creatine phosphate-creatine phosphokinase, inhibit the utilization of deoxyribonucleoside diphosphates by depleting the appropriate substrates. The cells cannot utilize deoxyribonucleosides and deoxyribonucleoside monophosphates under the conditions used. The product is insoluble in trichloroacetic acid, resistant to alkali and ribonuclease, and sensitive to deoxyribonuclease and micrococcal nuclease.
Feasibility constraints on the elastic expansion of ecosystem models

Abstract Stable n-species ecosystem models may be expanded into larger (n + 1)-species stable models when an invading species is introduced. Such invasions are referred to as being successful due to the elasticity of the original community. Elasticity is dependent upon the interaction terms of both the original community members and the invading species. Feasibility constraints for elasticity and inelasticity are presented here for these terms in the context of a generalized ecosystem model where invasion causes only minor displacements in equilibrium population densities.
New Observations on the Wilcox Group: ABSTRACT

For reasons of regional relationships, the base of the Wilcox group is best placed at the base of the Seguin formation as redefined by Beckman and Turner, 1943. This formation is a transgressive shallow-marine sequence of glauconitic sands topped by the Caldwell Knob oyster bed. The latter is a biostrome, 0-23 feet thick. The Seguin formation is 92 feet thick in central Texas. The Seguin formation is overlain by the Hooper formation (newly proposed), about 325 feet thick in central Texas. The Hooper is a regressive partly marine, partly non-marine sequence of glauconitic sands and lignitic clays. An erosional disconformity separates the Hooper from the overlying Simsboro sand, a non-marine kaolinitic very coarse sand, about 75 feet thick in central Texas. The Simsboro san is succeeded by a great mass of non-marine sediment composed of shales, clays, silts, sands, old soils, lignites, channel sandstones, and clay-ironstone lenses. The Butler clay, previously regarded as occupying the stratigraphic position of the Hooper, rests on the Simsboro sand at the Butler clay type locality. Hence the Butler clay is merely the basal part of the Calvert Bluff formation from which it can not be separated on lithologic grounds. The top of the Wilcox group is placed at the base of the Carrizo sand, a fluviatile sand, which rests with a regional erosional disconformity on the Wilcox. A hilly buried topography exists at this break and is recognizable in the Tyler basin, central Texas, and possibly other marginal updip areas. The data presented are the work of Ralph Giannone, William W. Sharp, Jr., and H. B. Stenzel. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2625------------
A novel approach for three dimensional dendrite spine segmentation and classification

Dendritic spines are small, bulbous cellular compartments that carry synapses. Biologists have been studying the biochemical and genetic pathways by examining the morphological changes of the dendritic spines at the intracellular level. Automatic dendritic spine detection from high resolution microscopic images is an important step for such morphological studies. In this paper, a novel approach to automated dendritic spine detection is proposed based on a nonlinear degeneration model. Dendritic spines are recognized as small objects with variable shapes attached to dendritic backbones. We explore the problem of dendritic spine detection from a different angle, i.e., the nonlinear degeneration equation (NDE) is utilized to enhance the morphological differences between the dendrite and spines. Using NDE, we simulated degeneration for dendritic spine detection. Based on the morphological features, the shrinking rate on dendrite pixels is different from that on spines, so that spines can be detected and segmented after degeneration simulation. Then, to separate spines into different types, Gaussian curvatures were employed, and the biomimetic pattern recognition theory was applied for spine classification. In the experiments, we compared quantitatively the spine detection accuracy with previous methods, and the results showed the accuracy and superiority of our methods.
Lateral Exchange of Larval Fish between a Restored Backwater and a Large River in the East-Central USA

Abstract Exchange of larval fish between a river's main channel and its floodplain backwaters is compromised by sedimentation. Restoration projects to reduce sediment loading are being implemented in large rivers of the midwestern United States to curb backwater habitat loss and restore backwater-to-river connectivity. During 2004 and 2005, drift nets were set bidirectionally (with and against the flow) within a constructed channel between the Illinois River and an adjacent, 1,100-ha restored backwater, Swan Lake, to investigate the interplay between life history strategies and lateral drift on a diel and seasonal basis. Ambient larval density and species composition within the river and backwater also were quantified. Drift was positively correlated with water velocity in the main stem during 2004, and an estimated 32.3 × 106 larvae drifted at the surface of the channel into Swan Lake. In the absence of a flood in 2005, the density and composition of the larval fish assemblage in Swan Lake and the Illino...
Injury and illness costs in the Certified Safe Farm study.

Context: The Certified Safe Farm (CSF) intervention program aims to reduce occupational injuries and illnesses, and promote wellness to reduce health care and related costs to farmers, insurers, and other stakeholders.Purpose:To evaluate the cost effectiveness of CSF. Methods: Farms (316) located in a 9-county area of northwestern Iowa were recruited and randomized into intervention and control cohorts. Intervention farms received occupational health screenings, health and wellness screening, education, on-farm safety reviews, and performance incentives. For both cohorts, quarterly calls over 3 years were used to collect self-reported occupational injury and illness information, including costs to the farmers and their insurers. Findings: Annual occupational injury and illness costs per farmer paid by insurers were 45% lower in the intervention cohort ($183) than in the control cohort ($332). Although out-of-pocket expenses were similar for both cohorts, combined costs of insurance and out-of-pocket expenses were 27% lower in the intervention cohort ($374/year per farmer) compared to the control cohort ($512/year per farmer). Within the cohort of intervention farmers, annual occupational injury and illness cost savings were directly associated with on-farm safety review scores. Reported health care costs were $237 per farmer in the safest farms (those farms scoring in the highest tertile) versus $485 per farmer in the least safe farms (lowest tertile). Conclusions: Results suggest that farmers receiving the intervention had lower health care costs for occupational injuries and illnesses than control farmers. These cost savings more than cover the cost of providing CSF services (about $100 per farm per year). Language: en
Heterodimerization, trafficking and membrane topology of the two proteins, Ostα and Ostβ, that constitute the organic solute and steroid transporter

Co-immunoprecipitation studies using mouse ileal proteins and transfected HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney-293) cells revealed that the two proteins, Ostalpha and Ostbeta, which generate the organic-solute transporter are able to immunoprecipitate each other, indicating a heteromeric complex. Mouse ileal Ostalpha protein appeared on Western blots largely as bands of 40 and 80 kDa, the latter band consistent with an Ostalpha homodimer, and both of these bands were sensitive to digestion by the glycosidase PNGase F (peptide:N-glycosidase F). Ostbeta appeared as bands of 17 and 19 kDa, and these bands were not sensitive to PNGase F. Both the 40 and 80 kDa forms of Ostalpha, and only the 19 kDa form of Ostbeta, were detected among the immunoprecipitated proteins, indicating that the interaction between Ostalpha and Ostbeta is associated with specific post-translational processing. Additional evidence for homodimerization of Ostalpha and for a direct interaction between Ostalpha and Ostbeta was provided by BiFC (bimolecular fluorescence complementation) analysis of HEK-293 cells transfected with Ostalpha and Ostbeta tagged with yellow-fluorescent-protein fragments. BiFC analysis and surface immunolabelling of transfected HEK-293 cells also indicated that the C-termini of both Ostalpha and Ostbeta are facing the intracellular space. The interaction between Ostalpha and Ostbeta was required not only for delivery of the proteins to the plasma membrane, but it increased their stability, as noted in transfected HEK-293 cells and in tissues from Ostalpha-deficient (Ostalpha-/-) mice. In Ostalpha-/- mice, Ostbeta mRNA levels were maintained, yet Ostbeta protein was not detectable, indicating that Ostbeta protein is not stable in the absence of Ostalpha. Overall, these findings identify the membrane topology of Ostalpha and Ostbeta, demonstrate that these proteins are present as heterodimers and/or heteromultimers, and indicate that the interaction between Ostalpha and Ostbeta increases the stability of the proteins and is required for delivery of the heteromeric complex to the plasma membrane.
Life History Trade-Offs and Behavioral Sensitivity to Testosterone: An Experimental Test When Female Aggression and Maternal Care Co-Occur

Research on male animals suggests that the hormone testosterone plays a central role in mediating the trade-off between mating effort and parental effort. However, the direct links between testosterone, intrasexual aggression and parental care are remarkably mixed across species. Previous attempts to reconcile these patterns suggest that selection favors behavioral insensitivity to testosterone when paternal care is essential to reproductive success and when breeding seasons are especially short. Females also secrete testosterone, though the degree to which similar testosterone-mediated trade-offs occur in females is much less clear. Here, I ask whether testosterone mediates trade-offs between aggression and incubation in females, and whether patterns of female sensitivity to testosterone relate to female life history, as is often the case in males. I experimentally elevated testosterone in free-living, incubating female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), a songbird with a short breeding season during which female incubation and intrasexual aggression are both essential to female reproductive success. Testosterone-treated females showed significantly elevated aggression, reduced incubation temperatures, and reduced hatching success, relative to controls. Thus, prolonged testosterone elevation during incubation was detrimental to reproductive success, but females nonetheless showed behavioral sensitivity to testosterone. These findings suggest that the relative importance of both mating effort and parental effort may be central to understanding patterns of behavioral sensitivity in both sexes.
Syphilis and squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach: A case report

Gastric syphilis and squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach are both rare conditions. Their simultaneous occurrence in this patient, however, may represent more than chance. This case documents that squamous cell carcinoma may arise in areas of squamous metaplasia. It also provides an opportunity to briefly review the clinical and radiologic findings in gastric syphilis and to stress the nonspecific nature of these findings.
Active Learning for the Kingdom of God

At the same time that teachers in theology and religion have been encouraged to consider how their personal identities affect their teaching, there has also been increased interest in active learning strategies. This essay argues that these two initiatives may be in conflict if the communal commitments of the instructor do not mirror the democratic commitments inherent to most active learning pedagogies. As a teacher of theology and ethics who is ultimately not committed to democracy but to the Kingdom of God, I have sought to develop learning strategies which avoid student passivity while focusing on the church as a foretaste to God's Kingdom. My consideration of this dilemma has drawn me to the educational philosophies of both John Dewey and Stanley Hauerwas, and in response to them I outline an active learning strategy which envisions the Christian church as a living tradition with students as dialogue partners and contributors to it.
Examination of Dislocations in Ice

Three techniques have been used to study dislocations in ice: etch pitting-replication, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray topography (XT). Each is considered, and it is shown that the most useful is XT. This is because ice has low absorption of X-rays and can be produced with a low dislocation density, thus, allowing relatively thick specimens to be studied. The many useful observations that have been made with conventional XT are presented. However, the introduction of high-intensity synchrotron radiation showed that conventional XT observations are of dislocations that have undergone recovery. Thus, the important dynamic observations and measurements that have been made using synchrotron XT are also outlined. In single crystals, it has been shown that slip mainly occurs by the movement of screw and 60° a/3(1120) dislocations on the basal plane. In addition, the operation of Frank-Read sources has been clearly demonstrated, and dislocation velocities have been measured. In contrast, in polycrystals, dislocation generation has been observed to occur at stress concentrations at grain boundaries, and this completely overwhelms any lattice dislocation generation mechanisms. The nature of faulted dislocation loops has been determined in both polycrystals and single crystals.
The fastest smooth Taylor bubble

The complicated nature of singularities associated with topological transition in the plane Taylor-bubble problem is briefly discussed in the context of estimating the speed of the fastest smooth Taylor-bubble in the absence of surface tension. Previous numerical studies were able to show the presence of a stagnation point at the tip of the bubbles for dimensionless speed F 0.29 due to difficulties in obtaining numerical solutions with well-rounded profiles at the apex. These difficulties raise the question whether the bubbles rising at a speed F∈(0.29,0.357) are smooth, pointed or spurious. This issue has led us to carefully scrutinize certain asymptotic behavior of the Fourier spectrums of the numerical solutions for a wide range of values of F and to extend these results in an appropriate limiting sense. Our findings indicate that these plane bubbles with F<0.35784 (accurate up to four decimal places) have well-rounded profiles at the apex. The purpose of this paper is to describe our approach and its use in arriving at the above conclusion.
Mortality resulting from head injury in professional boxing.

BACKGROUND: The majority of boxing-related fatalities result from traumatic brain injury. Biomechanical forces in boxing result in rotational acceleration with resultant subdural hematoma and diffuse axonal injury. OBJECTIVE: Given the inherent risk and the ongoing criticism boxing has received, we evaluated mortalities associated with professional boxing. METHODS: We used the Velaquez Fatality Collection of boxing injuries and supplementary sources to analyze mortality from 1950 to 2007. Variables evaluated included age at time of death, association with knockout or other outcome of match, rounds fought, weight class, location of fight, and location of pretermial event. RESULTS: There were 339 mortalities between 1950 and 2007 (mean age, 24 ± 3.8 years); 64% were associated with knockout and 15% with technical knockout. A higher percentage occurred in the lower weight classes. The preterminal event occurred in the ring (61%), in the locker room (17%), and outside the arena (22%), We evaluated for significant changes after 1983 when championship bouts were reduced from 15 to 12 rounds. CONCLUSION: There was a significant decline in mortality after 1983. We found no significant variables to support that this decline is related to a reduction in rounds. Rather, we hypothesize the decline to be the result of a reduction in exposure to repetitive head trauma (shorter careers and fewer fights), along with increased medical oversight and stricter safety regulations. Increased efforts should be made to improve medical supervisions of boxers. Mandatory central nervous system imaging after a knockout could lead to a significant reduction in associated mortality. Language: en
Inconclusive Inclusive Nonleptonic $B$ Decays

We reconsider the conflict between recent calculations of the semileptonic branching ratio of the [ital B] meson and the experimentally measured rate. Such calculations depend crucially on the application of local duality'' in nonleptonic decays, and we discuss the relation of this assumption to the weaker assumptions required to compute the semileptonic decay rate. We suggest that the discrepancy between theory and experiment might be due to the channel with two charm quarks in the final state, either because of a small value for [ital m][sub [ital c]] or because of a failure of local duality. We examine the experimental consequences of such solutions for the charm multiplicity in [ital B] decays.
Accelerated Elevation Change of Greenland's Jakobshavn Glacier Observed by ICESat and IceBridge

The recent accelerated ice mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet and its outlet glaciers has been widely documented. The Jakobshavn isbrae/glacier is one of the fastest melting glaciers in Greenland. To determine its elevation change rate, recent observations from the laser altimetry mission Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) (2003-2009) and the airborne campaign IceBridge (2009-2011) were used. The results confirm previously determined elevation loss rates of several decimeters per year. Specifically, the outlet glacier declines up to several meters per year, while the high-elevation areas of the ice sheet exhibit loss of a few decimeters or even elevation gain for some years. Specifically, the three study areas show the following ranges of elevation change rates and standard deviation between 2003 and 2011: (1) - 0.64 to -2.56 ±0.43m/yr for areas below 1500-m elevation; (2) +0.17 to -0.55 ±0.16m/yr for areas above 1500 m; and (3) -2.31 to -5.18 ±0.55 m/yr for outlet glacier. Elevation change accelerates at -0.09 to -0.27 m/yr2 between 2004 and 2011. The uncertainty is better than 0.55 m/yr which demonstrates that both ICESat and IceBridge observations allow for the accurate estimation of rates at the observed magnitudes. Part of the uncertainty can be attributed to the slope correction used to project two footprints at different epochs onto a common location. The slope correction was applied based on the ICESat 1-km digital elevation model and the IceBridge Airborne Topographic Mapper slope data sets. An improved understanding of annual and seasonal variability of elevation change will result in better quantification of its mass balance and its contribution to sea level change.