cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Damage characterization of two-dimensional woven and three-dimensional braided SiC-SiC composites

A comprehensive investigation of the room temperature behaviour of two-dimensional woven and three-dimensional braided SiC-SiC composites fabricated by the chemical vapour infiltration route has been conducted. A morphological study of the residual porosity in the composites revealed the existence of primarily two populations of pores: small intrayarn pores and larger interyarn pores. The sizes and the shapes of the two types of pores depended largely on the fibre architecture; the two step braided composite in which the majority of the fibre yarns were orientated along the axial direction exhibited the smallest pore size. The pore size and shapes in turn influenced the onset of damage in the composites under tensile loading. Damage was found to be initially matrix dominated, thus being essentially independent of the fibre architecture. At higher stress levels, however, fibre dominated damage prevailed. Unlike the tensile behaviour, where damage led to non-linearity in the stress-strain curve, the compressive behaviour of the composites was linear elastic almost up to failure. The off-axis tensile properties as well as compression after tension behaviour of the two-dimensional woven composites were also investigated. The information obtained from these tests provides the basis for the modelling of damage in these materials.
Concept attainment, transfer, and retention through observation and rule-provision.

Abstract The effects of observing a model and of providing a response rule on the learning, transfer, and retention of a dial-reading, numerical concept were studied in 144 third graders. Different Es conducted the immediate learning procedures versus the measurements of retention. No extrinsic reinforcers were promised or dispensed. The children profited both from modeling and from rule-provision, with the strongest learning, transfer, and retention displayed by the group that watched the model and also received the rule summary. Sequence of presenting the sets of retention stimuli (including a series of novel generalization items not previously encountered) did not influence the strength of concept retention 6 weeks after training.
Properties of wood for combustion analysis.

Abstract A systematic compilation of 21 different property values of wood and bark fuel was made to facilitate the engineering analysis and modeling of combustion systems. Physical property values vary greatly and properties such as density, porosity, and internal surface area are related to wood species whereas bulk density, particle size, and shape distribution are related to fuel preparation methods. Density of dry wood and bark varies from 300 to 550 kg m −3 ; bulk density of prepared wood fuel varies from about 160 to 230 kg m −3 . Thermal property values such as specific heat, thermal conductivity, and emissivity vary with moisture content, temperature, and degree of thermal degradation by one order of magnitude. The carbon content of wood varies from about 47 to 53% due to varying lignin and extractives content. Mineral content of wood is less than 1%, but it can be over 10 times that value in bark. The composition of mineral matter can vary between and within each tree. Properties that need further investigation are the temperature dependency of thermal conductivity and the thermal emissivity of char-ash. How mineral matter is transformed into various sizes of particulates is not well understood.
An Explorative Study of Age Discrimination in IT Wages

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of the United States of America reported in 2002 that age discrimination was its fastest-growing complaint. In this article, we examine the treatment of information technology professionals, using the Human Capital Model. The model results suggest that age treatment discrimination exists, but varies, across industries and job functions. We present explorative theories to explain why such variations exist, and draw managerial implications based on the results.
Photoemission from Polymers

An experimental study has been made of photoemission from several polymers, including polyethylene, kapton, teflon, and polyvinyl chloride, under irradiation by 15-25 keV photons. The emission intensities from these plastics were compared to those from several conductors, ranging from carbon to tantalum, and from other insulators, such as glass and mica. For all these materials, the relative magnitude of photoemission was found to be mainly proportional to the photoelectric absorption coefficient. Under this pulsed irradiation, the insulators emitted as conductors when backed by conducting sheets but exhibited reduced emission associated with trapped charges when isolated.
Adhesion enhancement in immiscible polymer bilayer using oriented macroscopic roughness

The use of oriented macroscopic roughness to enhance the effective adhesion between two immiscible polymers was demonstrated. Bilayer specimens of polycarbonate and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN) were produced with rough interfaces by scribing grooves of varying depths and spacings into the polycarbonate (PC) before joining the layers. The SAN, having a significantly lower glass transition temperature than polycarbonate, flows into the grooves during annealing at temperatures just over the PC glass transition, creating a mechanically interlocking interface. Subsequent measurements of bilayer interfacial fracture toughness showed up to a twenty-fold increase from that of a smooth interface when grooves were oriented perpendicular to the direction of interfacial crack propagation. The increase in toughness was shown to be greater as grooves were spaced closer together, and as groove depths were increased. Propagation of interface cracks followed a stick-slip mechanism, slowing considerably at each groove. Analysis of fracture surfaces indicates the increase in toughness to be mainly due to cohesive failure and deformation of the polymers at the grooves. Interface toughness was also enhanced with grooves scribed parallel to the propagation direction, but to a lesser degree than with perpendicular orientation.
HEIGHT DEVELOPMENT IN TURNER SYNDROME (TS): RESULTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL SURVEY CONDUCTED BY ESPE|[sol]|LWPES

Recent attempts to improve height in TS through growth hormone therapy have st imulated worldwide interest in the spontaneous growth and final height of these patients. Published data show that women with TS reach a mean height of approx. 20 cm. below the normal female population, even if the karyotypes differed. TS-specific age-related growth curves, however, show distinct variability, particularly during childhood. This is probably due to the bias introduced by the circumstances leading to the diagnosis, e.g. pre-natal diagnosis through karyotyping, early diagnosis through dysmorphology and/or organ abnormalities, diagnosis during childhood following persistent short stature, delayed or absence of puberty, or infertility in adult life. Thus, data on adult height, drawn from patients whose diagnosis was made very late, cannot govern the height prognostics used for patients who are recognized much earlier. Height prognosis in TS, therefore, needs to be further individualized by taking parental height, karyotype, size at birth, degree of dysmorphology, bone age and ethnically-representative growth curves into consideration. Current data supports the view that GH therapy can improve both height in childhood and in adult life in TS.
Halotolerant ectothiorhodospira survival in mirabilite: Experiments with a model of chemical stratification by hydrate deposition in saline lakes

An experimental model of chemical stratification in certain saline lakes by hydrate deposition and hydrate‐anhydrate phase transition was developed for the system sodium carbonate‐sodium sulfate‐sodium chloride. Mirabilite (Na2SO4 • 10H2O) was the test hydrate. A population of an halotolerant Ectothiorhodospira from Owens Lake, Calif., partitioned between brine and mirabilite upon decreased temperature, survived 100 days dark storage at 15°C equally well in the resulting liquid phase and in the mirabilite. The entrapped organisms did not survive the phase transition of mirabilite to thenardite, the anhydrate. Since the optimum water activity (a10) for this organism was 0.95, those remaining in the liquid phase benefitted by an increase in a 10 from 0.93 in the initial brine to 0.95 upon deposition of the hydrate. The “blebs of microorganisms”; reported to be included in hydrates of ancient Searles Lake, Calif., facies may have been formed contemporaneously with deposition of the salts. Implications for bi...
Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) analysis of longevity in C57BL/6J by DBA/2J (BXD) recombinant inbred mice

Background and aims: Genes associated with longevity have been identified using both single gene and genome-wide approaches in a variety of species. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that influence longevity in male and female mice from twenty-three C57BL/6J by DBA/2J (BXD) recombinant inbred (RI) strains. Methods: Approximately 12 animals of each sex for each RI strain were maintained under standard conditions until natural death or moribundity criteria were met. Results: A number of life span-relevant loci previously reported on chromosomes (Chrs) 7,8, 10 and 11 were confirmed. In addition, 5 previously unre-ported QTLs for mouse life span on Chrs 1,2,6,11, and X were identified as significant and 3 QTLs on Chrs 5, 8, and 16 were suggestive. Conclusions: Several QTLs were coincident in males and females although the modest correlation between male and female median lifespans and the identification of sex specific QTLs provide evidence that the genetic architecture underlying longevity in the sexes may differ substantially. The identification of multiple QTLs for longevity will provide valuable resources for both reductionist and integrationist research into mechanisms of life span determination.
Model for Origin of Monosaccharides

Formaldehyde, alumina and two naturally occurring aluminosilicates, kaolinite and illite, were refluxed with an aqueous solution of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde was converted to monosaccharides. This provides the basis for a model for the primordial origin of monosaccharides.
Enduring Rivals: Presidential Success and Support in the House of Representatives

We compare presidents' legislative support and success at the vote level of analysis. In so doing, we remind readers that these two outcomes measures, collected by Congressional Quarterly, Inc., may or may not reflect presidential agenda preferences. Success refers to a victory for the president on his vote positions, while support refers to margin of legislators taking the same position on the vote as the president. The vote level provides numerous characteristics of the legislation itself that serve as useful predictors of these two presidential position outcomes. These include its substantive nature, the stage of the vote on the floor, and the issue area of the vote. In addition to the characteristics of the votes themselves, we also incorporate presidential resources and environmental conditions. Virtually all of the component variables within these three concepts contribute to explaining presidents' legislative success and support in the House. We also find that, while models of overall House success...
Hierarchical, unsupervised learning with growing via phase transitions

We address unsupervised learning subject to structural constraints, with particular emphasis placed on clustering with an imposed decision tree structure. Most known methods are greedy, optimizing one node of the tree at a time to minimize a local cost. By constrast, we develop a joint optimization method, derived based on information-theoretic principles and closely related to known methods in statistical physics. The approach is inspired by the deterministic annealing algorithm for unstructured data clustering, which was based on maximum entropy inference. The new approach is founded on the principle of minimum cross-entropy, using informative priors to approximate the unstructured clustering solution while imposing the structural constraint. The resulting method incorporates supervised learning principles applied in an unsupervised problem setting. In our approach, the tree “grows” by a sequence of bifurcations that occur while optimizing an effective free energy cost at decreasing temperature scales. Thus, estimates of the tree size and structure are naturally obtained at each temperature in the process. Examples demonstrate considerable improvement over known methods.
GC/MS identification of artifacts formed during sample preparation using USEPA methods 625 and 8270

Abstract In USEPA Methods 625 and 8270 samples are generally analyzed for the target compound list (TCL) components by an automated data system and for non-TCL components by a library search. Non-TCL components identified and reported as tentatively identified compounds are rarely verified and sometimes incorrect information is reported. This incorrect information includes incorrect compound identification and artifacts produced during sample preparation. In this study thirty-three artifacts which were formed during sample preparation were identified by GC/MS. These artifacts are formed by the following reactions: oxidation of phenolic surrogates and phenolic target analytes, halogenation or nitration of phenolic surrogates, reaction of preservative cyclohexene in methylene chloride with halogens, autoxidation of cyclohexene, and aldol condensation of acetone.
A Risk-Benefit Appraisal of Drugs Used in the Management of Premenstrual Syndrome

Recent advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) have allowed the development of appropriate pharmacological interventions. Although at the present time there are no approved medications for this indication in the US, several well-designed studies have been conducted that guide the clinician’s treatment of PMS. As a result, less-proven nonpharmacological modalities, such as dietary modification, exercise regimens and psychotherapy, are more quickly supplanted by the use of medication. Three classes of agents have been proven efficacious and are widely used to treat the disorder. These include benzodiazepines (especially alprazolam), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (especially fluoxetine), and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) [luteinising hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)] agonists. In addition to these medications which are used to treat the generalised syndrome of PMS, a variety of other drugs are used in the treatment of specific aspects of this disorder. Despite the success of these treatments, each has a substantial adverse effect profile which modulates their use in some patients. Knowledge of these potential adverse effects and their management should help optimise therapy. In addition, a variety of less well-proven pharmacological remedies are commonly in use. The adverse effects of these medications may well outweigh their benefits.
On scaling immiscible displacements in permeable media

Abstract This study was aimed at scaling unstable immiscible laboratory corefloods in oder to generalize their results. The corefloods were imaged by CT to measure and visualize their fluid saturation distributions in time and space. The saturation data were scaled with a dimensionless self-similarity variable to derive the characteristics dimensionless response curves for the unstable corefloods. The results show that unstable immiscible displacements are self-similar processes. When presented as a function of the self-similar dimensionless variable, the spatial and temporal saturation data collapsed into one dimensionless response curve. The saturation data obtained by different experimenters on similar porous media that previously appeared to be random and unpredictable were found to fall on the same dimensionless response curve under the new scaling. We also found that the dimensionless response function for a water-wet medium was significantly different from that of an oil-wet medium. The response function for the water-wet medium had a well-defined front, whereas that for the oil-wet medium had a more diffuse and less well-developed front. These features reflect the higher displacement efficiency in the water-wet medium than in the oil-wet medium. Theser results show that unstable immiscible displacements are not so unpredictable as we once thought them to be. When properly scaled, unstable immiscible displacements are just as reproducible and predictable as stable displacements. The study has resulted in significant new insights into the performance of unstable immiscible displacements. The methodology developed in this study can be applied to other laboratory experiments, both to plan the experiments and to present their results meaningfully. Further, the methodology of this study when combined with numerical simulation and the principles of similitude, provides a way to scale the results of the laboratory experiments to other systems. This novel approach to performance prediction that combines laboratory imaging experiments with numerical modeling is the subject of a companion paper.
Social resonance: balancing reputation with tangible design

New forms of tangible systems can be designed to leverage the strengths, and bridge the discrepancies, of reputation systems. This paper presents the ongoing design of a tangible reputation system, Social Resonance, that uses a wearable device to merge face-to-face interaction with online networking. Like its virtual counterparts, this system aims to make explicit the perspective of anonymous actors. Yet unlike online reputations, this system is negotiated through real-world action and signals. We present an overview of the system, including potential opportunities and related work, and conclude with future steps for analysis.
2-photon ionization for efficient seeding and trapping of strontium ions

We describe an efficient way to photoionize strontium atoms in a linear radio-frequency trap. We use a 2-photon second order process to excite the autoionization resonance (4d2+5p2) 1D2 in neutral strontium (Sr). A doubled Ti:sapphire laser system is used at 431 nm to provide 100 fs pulses at 82 MHz. The fabrication of the laser systems for addressing the Sr+ transitions necessary for laser cooling and excitation of quantum jumps, vacuum system and ion trap structure are also described. With the current setup a easy and repeatable trapping of linear ion chains is readily achieved at very low Sr vapor pressures.
TH-C-M100J-05: A Closed-Loop Control Framework for Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART)

Purpose: While ART has been studied for years, the specific quantitative implementation details have not. In order for this new scheme of radiation therapy to reach its potential, an effective ART planning strategy capable of taking into account the dosedelivery history and patient's on‐treatment geometric model must be in place. This work performs a study of dynamic closed‐loop control algorithms for ART and demonstrates their utilities with data from phantom and clinical cases with on‐treatment cone‐beam CTimages.Method: In closed‐loop control, the controller is not run just once but repeatedly, each time receiving the current state of the system as its input. To meet the requirements of different clinical applications, two classes of algorithms are developed: those Adapting to Changing Geometry (ACG) and those Adapting to Geometry and DeliveredDose (AGDD). The former takes into account organ deformations found just before treatment. The latter optimizes the dose distribution accumulated over the entire course of treatment by adapting at each fraction not only to the anatomic information just before treatment but also to the dosedelivery history. The closed‐loop algorithms are showcased by phantom and clinical cases. Results: A comparison of the approaches with conventional open‐loop IMRT without adaptively incorporating feedback information indicates that closed‐loop ART may significantly improve the current practice. In both phantom and clinical studies, AGDD outperforms ACG algorithms in three aspects: target dose coverage, sensitive‐structure sparing, and steeper gradients around the tumor. Within the AGDD formalism, it is beneficial not to correct all the previous dosimetric errors at once right after the information is available but over a number of fractions until next set of feedback data is available. Conclusion:ART with closed‐loop dynamic algorithms substantially improve the dose distribution. In addition, the differing performance of the specific implementations shows that the algorithmic details matter.
Benchmark calculations of water–acene interaction energies: Extrapolation to the water–graphene limit and assessment of dispersion–corrected DFT methods

In a previous study (J. Phys. Chem. C, 2009, 113, 10242-10248) we used density functional theory based symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (DFT-SAPT) calculations of water interacting with benzene (C(6)H(6)), coronene (C(24)H(12)), and circumcoronene (C(54)H(18)) to estimate the interaction energy between a water molecule and a graphene sheet. The present study extends this earlier work by use of a more realistic geometry with the water molecule oriented perpendicular to the acene with both hydrogen atoms pointing down. We also include results for an intermediate C(48)H(18) acene. Extrapolation of the water-acene results gives a value of -3.0 +/- 0.15 kcal mol(-1) for the binding of a water molecule to graphene. Several popular dispersion-corrected DFT methods are applied to the water-acene systems and the resulting interacting energies are compared to results of the DFT-SAPT calculations in order to assess their performance.
Sorting Sloppy Sonic

In the classic picture of morphogen-mediated patterning, cells acquire the correct spatial arrangement of specified fates by reading a precisely distributed gradient of morphogen. Xiong et al. now provide evidence for an alternate strategy—cells of the zebrafish neural tube actively sort to their correct positions following disordered specification by Sonic hedgehog.
The effect of riverine discharge on biogeochemical processes in estuarine sediments

A recently developed autonomous benthic lander equipped with an underwater potentiostat and a micromanipulator for in situ voltammetric depth profiling of main redox species in pore waters was deployed for 3 yr at multiple stations along the Satilla River estuary (Georgia, U.S.A.). These measurements revealed that biogeochemical processes in estuarine sediments vary seasonally and are influenced by riverine discharge. A prolonged drought decreased river discharge, altered the salinity gradient in the estuary, and profoundly affected anaerobic respiratory processes in the underlying sediments. Under normal hydrologic conditions, iron reduction was the dominant anaerobic respiratory process across the estuary, likely due to the significant supply of iron from the coastal plane and low salinity of the estuary. Under drought conditions, the salinity of the estuary increased to full seawater strength and carbon remineralization was enhanced significantly. Yet, sulfate reduction was only observed near the mouth of the estuary, whereas a substantial increase in iron reduction was distinctive upriver. Evidence indicates that the increase in iron-reducing activity during the drought resulted mainly from the deposition of mineral particles in the upper estuary when the salinity gradient increased. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the biogeochemical response of estuarine sediments to natural perturbations is rapid and that respiration processes are controlled by a combination of temperature, supply of inorganic and organic substrates, and hydrological processes. These findings also suggest that an increase in the frequency of droughts as a result of climate change may enhance the resiliency of iron-reducing bacteria in river-fed estuarine sediments.
Influence of rock-soil spectral variation on the assessment of green biomass

A comparison of how n-spaced and ratio-based vegetation indices respond to rock and soil spectral variation is made, using a set of ground-based reflectance spectra and airborne Thematic Mapper imagery of the Virginia Range, NV. The influence of variations in rock-soil brightness on ratio-based vegetation indices is also discussed. It is shown that of all the vegetation indices tested, the perperdicular vegetation index is the most appropriate for use in multispectral imagery of arid and semiarid regions where there is a wide variation in substrate characteristics.
Simultaneous collisions of particles: Generalization of a theorem by Sundman

According to Sundman, a simultaneous collision of all the particles of a system of gravitating masspoints is possible only if the total angular momentum of the system vanishes. It is shown that this proposition isnot characteristic for gravitation, but rather holds for a wide class of central forces.
Gene Action and Combining Ability for Grain Yield and Its Components in Rice

ABSTRACT In this study, an effort was made to identify good parents and nature of gene action governing different characters of rice by line (4 restorers) × tester (2 cytoplasmic male sterile lines) analysis. The trial comprising 8 hybrids and their parents were laid out in randomized block design with 3 replications and characterized for yield and nine yield component traits. In the present study, the ANOVA for combining ability revealed significant differences between the treatments (genotype) for all the traits studied and amongst the treatments the mean sum of square (MSS) due to parents showed significant differences for all the traits. The grain yield, grain number per panicle, plant height and days to fifty percent flowering appears to be the key determining traits and showed significant differences for the lines, testers, line × testers. Parents with low × high general combining ability (GCA) effects resulted in heterotic hybrid combination like the IR68281A/IR68749R. Interestingly, we found low ×...
A prognostic factor analysis for use in development of predictive models for response in adult acute leukemia

The pretreatment characteristics of 325 adults with acute leukemia who were treated at the M. D. Anderson Hospital between 1973 and 1977 have been evaluated to assess their value as prognostic indicators. The patient population includes all patients treated with an anthracycline (Adriamycin or rubidazone), cytosine arabinoside, vincristine, and prednisone during the time period. Most patients had one of the variants of acute myelogenous leukemia (75%), and the remaining patients had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (16%) or undifferentiated leukemia (8%). Twenty-one factors were found to be significantly associated with probability of obtaining a complete response. In addition to characteristics previously known to provide prognostic information such as age, temperature status at the start of treatment, morphology, the presence of Auer rods, sex, and hemoglobin level, we identified the presence of a documented antecedent hematologic disorder and the finding of insufficient metaphases on cytogenetic analysis using the squash technique as being major prognostic variables. In addition, the pre-treatment biochemical characteristics of hypoalbuminemia and elevated blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were found to adversely influence prognosis. The prognostic significance of factors such as the leukocyte count and platelet count, identified in earlier studies, was not confirmed in this group of patients. From this natural-history analysis predictive models for response have been developed using multivariate logistic regression techniques. One of these models has been used to evaluate the effect of morphology, treatment, and cytogenetic pattern on response to the combination of drugs used.
Kitting process in a stochastic assembly system

In small-lot, multi-product, multi-level assembly systems, kitting (or accumulating) components required for assembly plays a crucial role in determining system performance, especially when the system operates in a stochastic environment. This paper analyzes the kitting process of a stochastic assembly system, treating it as an assembly-like queue. If components arrive according to Poisson processes, we show that the output stream departing the kitting operation is a Markov renewal process. The distribution of time between kit completions is also derived. Under the special condition of identical component arrival streams having the same Poisson parameter, we show that the output stream of kits approximates a Poisson process with parameter equal to that of the input stream. This approximately decouples assembly from kitting, allowing the assembly operation to be analyzed separately.
Monetary Policy Actions, Intervention, and Exchange Rates: A Re-Examination of the Empirical Relationships Using Federal Funds Rate Target Data

We re-examine the relationships among Federal Reserve monetary-policy actions, U.S. interventions in currency markets, and exchange rates using an alternative measure of monetary policy actions, the Federal Reserve's federal funds rate target. We find that exchange rates generally respond immediately to U.S. monetary policy actions and that these responses are usually consistent with the overshooting hypothesis. We also find evidence of signaling and leaning-against-the-wind U.S. intervention policies over the sample; however, controlling for such interventions does not alter our estimates of exchange rate responses to federal funds rate target changes.
Heterogeneity of the adsorption mechanism of low molecular weight compounds in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

The retention mechanism in RPLC mode was investigated based on the acquisition of adsorption isotherm data by frontal analysis measurements and their modeling. This work is a review of the results of four years of adsorption data measurements. The data were acquired on a wide variety of brands of C18-silica columns (from Akzo Nobel, Bishoff, Hypersil, Merck, Phenomenex, Supelco, Vydac, and Waters) with several low molecular weight compounds such as phenol (94 g/mol), caffeine (194 g/mol), tryptophan (204 g/mol), sodium 2-naphthalenesulfonate (235 g/mol), and propranololium chloride (295 g/mol). The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol and water at variable composition. The adsorption isotherms were all convex upward (langmuirian), and the degree of heterogeneity of the adsorption system was determined from the calculation of the adsorption energy distribution using the expectation−maximization method. The adsorption isotherm parameters (number of types of adsorption sites, surface concentration of each ...
When medicine fails: Evaluating website quality for interpretation of uncertain diagnoses

To date there has been little agreement on standardised methods for conducting health website quality assessments. One useful approach would be to identify the information consumers are more likely to use in personal health assessments or self care, relative to traditional provider-based information. Ranking of such information might serve to better identify associated benefits or dangers for healthcare consumers. In areas of clinical uncertainty, for example, greater risk (or potential reward) might be attributed to websites where consumers might be more likely to avoid their provider's opinion about such information. For illustration purposes, in this exploratory study we examine web-based content within a longstanding area of uncertainty for consumers, the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism. More refined analysis of web-based resources in such a specified, hierarchical domain can provide important clues related to the strategies of healthcare consumers.
Short-term variability of the underwater light field in the oligotrophic ocean in response to surface waves and clouds

Abstract Examples of short-term variations of the underwater light field associated with surface-wave focusing and cloud cover, and occurring at intermediate depths of the euphotic zone in the oligotrophic ocean are discussed. Time series of water pressure, spectral downwelling irradiance (Ed), and spectral upwelling radiance (Lu) at 412, 443, 490, 510, 555, 665, and 683 nm were acquired with moored instruments. The mooring was deployed in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda in September 1994. The measurements were made at 15 and 35 m once every hour from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time, with a 6 Hz sampling rate over time periods of 2 or 5 min duration. Time series of Ed, Lu, and water pressure were subject to spectral analysis. Under clear sky conditions, the power spectra of Ed at the blue/green wavelengths exhibited distinct maxima due to focusing of sunlight by surface waves. These maxima were located at a frequency higher than the dominant frequency in the power spectrum of water pressure variations. Similar maxima were present in the power spectra of Lu, but the position of the peak was dependent on light wavelength. The coefficient of variation for Ed and Lu depended on light wavelength and increased towards the red wavelengths. This coefficient was much smaller for Lu than for Ed, which reflects the fact that the upwelling light field is less affected by wave focusing than the downwelling light field. At depths of our measurements, the light fluctuations in the red can be attributed to variations in inelastically scattered radiation, that is, the fluorescence of phytoplankton cells and Raman scattering. This is because the fluoresced light and Raman scattered light in the red follow fluctuations that occur at shorter excitation wavelengths. When clouds covered the sky, we observed a decrease of the coefficient of variation for Ed and Lu. In this case, the fluctuations of light were well correlated with variations of water pressure associated with water surface displacement due to the wave motion.
Metabolism of prostaglandin E2 by human HL-60 leukemia cells

The metabolic fate of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was examined in human HL-60 leukemia cells. Cytosolic fractions obtained from dimethylformamide treated HL-60 granulocytes rapidly convert exogonous PGE2 to 15-keto-PGE2. The strict requirement for NAD coupled with other characteristics of the reaction indicate that the enzyme is the NAD-dependent 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH). When intact cells are incubated with3H-PGE2, both 15-keto-PGE2 and its subsequent metabolite, 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGE2 are produced. Thus, HL-60 cells express two enzymes of the major prostaglandin catabolic pathway, 15-PGDH and ketoprostaglandin Δ13-reductase.
Stimulation of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses by rabies virus glycoprotein and identification of an immunodominant domain

Abstract The cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response to rabies virus glycoprotein has been studied. A primary in vivo CTL response was obtained following inoculation of A/J mice with 10μg of glycoprotein, but only when in the form of reconstituted glycoprotein-lipid vesicles. These glycoprotein-lipid vesicles were prepared with lipids from BHK-21 cells, and did not incorporate mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. Secondary in vitro stimulation of rabies virus-specific CTL was obtained with inactivated virus and with larger quantities of glycoprotein. This response, but not that induced by rabies virus-infected stimulator cells, was dependent on the presence of radiation-resistant accessory cells which could not be replaced with T-cell growth factors. An analysis of the molecular requirements for stimulation of CTL by glycoprotein revealed that cleavage by cyanogen bromide (CNBr) or limited tryptic digestion actually enhanced stimulation of CTL. In contrast, reduction and alkylation destroyed activity. Following separation of CNBr or tryptic fragments by gel electrophoresis or high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) (under nonreducing conditions), a nominal determinant of glycoprotein was identified. One CNBr peptide (residues 103–178) and one peak of tryptic peptides were found to stimulate rabies virus-specific CTL. The tryptic peak was further analyzed by Edman degradation-sequencing, and found to consist of three peptides with amino terminals at residues 130, 251 and 279. This evidence suggests that a nominal determinant of glycoprotein responsible for stimulating rabies virus-specific CTL is located between residues 130–178 of the glycoprotein, and incorporates a single disulfide loop (159–169) which is necessary for biologic activity.
Simultaneous autotrophic denitrification and nitrification in a low-oxygen reaction environment.

The occurrence of autotrophic denitrification and nitrification activities by ammonia-oxidising bacteria and nitrite-oxidising bacteria is studied in a bioreactor system operable at low-dissolved oxygen (DO) and at variable oxygen influx rates. At a loading of 3.6 mg NH4+–N/h into the bioreactor, simultaneous autotrophic denitrification and nitrification contributed to NH4+–N removal over oxygen influxes of 2–14 mg O2/h and DO 16 mg O2/h and DO >2 mg/L, autotrophic denitrification ceases and roughly 90% of feed NH4+–N is oxidised to NOX−–N. The stability of total effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD) over the range of oxygen influxes tested confirms the absence of heterotrophic denitrification in the bioreactor. The long solids residence time of the stable biomass zone (21 days) led to production of effluent COD as a result of cell decay, and thus effluent COD was used to calculate more accurately the mean cell residence time.
Relation between the psychological and thermodynamic arrows of time

In this paper we lay out an argument that generically the psychological arrow of time should align with the thermodynamic arrow of time where that arrow is well defined. This argument applies to any physical system that can act as a memory, in the sense of preserving a record of the state of some other system. This result follows from two principles: the robustness of the thermodynamic arrow of time to small perturbations in the state, and the principle that a memory should not have to be fine-tuned to match the state of the system being recorded. This argument applies even if the memory system itself is completely reversible and nondissipative. We make the argument with a paradigmatic system, and then formulate it more broadly for any system that can be considered a memory. We illustrate these principles for a few other example systems and compare our criteria to earlier treatments of this problem.
Absolute Irreducibility of Polynomials via Newton Polytopes

Abstract A multivariable polynomial is associated with a polytope, called its Newton polytope. A polynomial is absolutely irreducible if its Newton polytope is indecomposable in the sense of Minkowski sum of polytopes. Two general constructions of indecomposable polytopes are given, and they give many simple irreducibility criteria including the well-known Eisenstein criterion. Polynomials from these criteria are over any field and have the property of remaining absolutely irreducible when their coefficients are modified arbitrarily in the field, but keeping a certain collection of them nonzero.
Field Assessment of Mating Competitiveness of Male Culex tritaeniorhynchus Carrying a Complex Chromosomal Aberration

A total of 167,291 Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles males heterozygous for a M 3 (male) linked complex aberration with 80–90% sterility was released daily over a 2-wk period to ascertain their mating competitiveness in nature. A dominant temperature sensitive lethal was employed as the primary sexing method for the release males. Competitiveness was determined by releasing both fluorescent dye dusted laboratory colonized virgin females and virgin female F1 progeny of wild caught females as well as by sampling endemic females in the study area. Matings by released males were confirmed by egg sterility and genetically by a recessive marker closely linked to the M 3 allele. Released males were highly competitive with released laboratory colonized females but were uncompetitive with the wild females, which suggested that colonization and/or prolonged laboratory maintenance had selected an assortive mating behavior. These results underscore the importance of using wild females to evaluate the competitiveness of altered genotypes and of incorporating as much endemic genetic material as possible into the release genome.
TO WHAT DOES THE ORIENTING RESPONSE RESPOND

Forty-eight Ss received 10 repetitive 1-sec light presentations at either 5 or 25 foot candles (ft c), followed by a switch on Trial 11. After approximately 2 months the experiment was repeated. Of 34 Ss who correctly described the stimulus change on initial testing, only 18 gave a (GSR) OR. On retest, most Ss retained their characteristic response, but previously responsive 25 5 ft c. Ss became non-responsive on Trial 11. There were no differences between OR-responders and non-responders to Trial 1 flash though responders subsequently took longer to habituate and made more ORs overall. There was no difference in base admittance (BAL) increase following initial onset of stimulation, but OR-responders subsequently showed a continuing BAL rise while nonresponders returned to resting levels. The OR is not an automatic accompaniment to perceptible stimulus novelty. A 2-stage process was hypothesized in triggering an OR, stressing the role of cognitive-motivational variables.
A Propositional Logic with Subjunctive Conditionals

In this paper a formalized logic of propositions, P A1 , is presented. It is proven consistent and its relationships to traditional logic, to PM ([15]), to subjunctive (including contrary-to-fact) implication and to the “paradoxes” of material and strict implication are developed. Apart from any intrinsic merit it possesses, its chief significance lies in demonstrating the feasibility of a general logic containing the principle of subjunctive contrariety , i.e., the principle that ‘If p were true then q would be true’ and ‘If p were true then q would be false’ are incompatible.
Glycated albumin increases oxidative stress, activates NF-κB and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and stimulates erk-dependent transforming growth factor-β1 production in macrophage RAW cells

Albumin modified by Amadori glucose adducts has been shown to modulate signal transduction and induce alterations in renal glomerular cells that contribute to the development of diabetic nephropathy. However, the participation of this nonenzymatically glycated protein in the pathobiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in diabetes has not been established. To probe this issue, we used macrophage RAW cells to assess the effects of glycated albumin on molecular events implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes-related vascular complications. RAW cells were cultured in medium containing 5.5 mmol/L glucose and glycated or nonglycated albumin, with and without the addition of PD98059, a specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), followed by analysis of phosphorylated ERK and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B and measurement of cellular content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and the concentration of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta(1) in the spent medium. We demonstrate, for the first time, that glycated albumin activates RAW cell ERK and promotes ERK-dependent increases in TGF-beta(1) production, oxidative stress, and NF-kappa B activation. Preincubation with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid partially prevented the glycated albumin-induced increase in NF-kappa B activation. These findings indicate that Amadori-modified glycated albumin modulates macrophage cell biology independent of high glucose concentration. The effects of glycated albumin on RAW cell molecular mediators and cytokine production may have pathophysiologic significance with respect to the accelerated atherosclerosis that occurs in diabetes.
Using joint application design to develop readable formal specifications

Abstract A requirements specification is a ‘contract’ between a client and a systems developer. This document is frequently written in some type of ‘computerese’ or formal specification that is unintelligible to most clients. Why can't we have a precise, formal specification that is understandable? In fact, why can't we let the client take charge of developing a formal specification? In this paper, we present OSS (Object-oriented Systems Specification), a graphical model with an embedded textual language that has a formal foundation, is suitable for requirements specification, and is understandable to at least technically oriented clients. We also introduce IPOST, a prototyping/specification tool to assist the client. We describe a Joint Application Development (JAD) scenario utilizing OSS and IPOST that involves heavy client participation in the development of formal requirements specifications.
The segment method as an alternative to minimax in hypothesis testing

Abstract An alternative approach to the design of hypothesis tests within modeling uncertainty is proposed. This approach is based on a design technique known as the segment method, which has been established previously as a favorable alternative to the minimax concept in the context of optimal control. The general segment concept is discussed here as it applies to binary decisions made in the presence of unknown prior distribution or parametric uncertainty. In the latter context, several aspects of the design of hypothesis tests on Gaussian data are considered in detail.
Tolerance to the discriminative stimulus properties of d-amphetamine

Abstract Male rats (F-344) responding for milk on a VI 20 sec schedule of reinforcement were trained to discriminate which of two levers to press on the basis of whether they had been injected with d-amphetamine (0.50, 1.00 or 1.50 mg/kg) or saline 15 min prior to daily training sessions. Dose-response functions determined for each of the three (n = 6) training-dose groups indicated that ED50 values were directly correlated with training dose. Two days following chronic amphetamine injections (a total of 78 mg/kg over 4 days) rats were tested for tolerance at a dose which normally produced about 80% drug-lever responding. Rats in all three groups showed tolerance to the cue properties of amphetamine. In the 0.50 and 1.00 mg/kg groups, complete tolerance was shown as evidenced by the fact that the drug lever responding did not differ from that which was appropriate following saline injections.