cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling and control of artificial bladder enabled by Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite

In our previous study, an artificial bladder enabled by Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite was developed for depth control of bio-inspired robots [1]. The device consists of a gas chamber whose the volume is controlled by a solenoid valve and an electrolysis gas generator, thus changing the device's buoyancy. In this paper, we present a continued study on modeling and control of the artificial bladder. A nonlinear dynamic model is developed for feedback control of the device. The model can be divided into two cascaded sub-models that capture net gas generation dynamics and motion dynamics, respectively. The stability analysis of motion dynamics has shown that the device with open-loop control is unstable. A dual-loop feedback control is designed to stabilize the unstable dynamics and improve the depth maneuvering accuracy. Simulation results shows that the feedback control enables the device to change its depth up to 0.2 m in one-step diving with about 50 seconds setting time. With multiple-step diving, the device can position itself at arbitrary depth underwater.
The de Sitter vacuum

Abstract We show that the vacuum for a scalar field in de Sitter space is not unique, but rather forms a one-parameter family. We examine the response of a particle detector in the general vacuum.
Novel brothy taste modifier isolated from beef broth

The essential components which impart the favorable “brothy taste” as the characteristic flavor of beef bouillon were investigated. Broth prepared from beef was performed successively by dialysis, electrodialysis, gel filtration chromatography, chelate affinity chromatography, and carbon partition chromatography, and finally three fractions which gave the “brothy taste” were obtained. Among these, one fraction, A8, contained the component responsible for this taste in highest purity. Structural analysis was carried out using FAB-MS and various NMR methods, and the main compound of A8 was thus elucidated to be the novel compound N-(1-methyl-4-hydroxy-3-imidazolin-2,2-ylidene)alanine. Keywords: Beef; extract; sour; brothy; taste; amino acid derivative
Human skin retention and penetration of a copper tripeptide in vitro as function of skin layer towards anti-inflammatory therapy

Objective and design The skin retention and penetration characteristics of copper applied as glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine cuprate diacetate were evaluated in vitro in order to assess the potential for its transdermal delivery as anti-inflammatory agent.
The vortex mode of instability in natural convection flow along inclined plates

Abstract The stability of natural convection flow along inclined plates has been investigated using the methods of linear perturbation theory. Attention has been focussed on three dimensional spatially growing disturbances, which take the form of parallel rows of streamwise oriented vortices. Results are presented of the critical Rayleigh numbers versus plate inclination angle. The theory is in qualitative agreement with experiment. The angle at which the three dimensional instability crosses over into the two dimensional wave instability is fairly well predicted by the theory.
Influence of naturally grown nanoparticles at the buffer layer in the flux pinning in YBa2Cu3O7 coated conductors

We have studied the influence of naturally grown SrTiO3 particles at the buffer layer surface on the in-field critical current density (Jc) dependence of coated conductors. The presence of the SrTiO3 particles induces the growth of extra-correlated pinning along the c-axis direction in the YBa2Cu3O7 films that thread samples as thick as 5 µm. These correlated pinning centres produce a bigger c-axis peak and effectively reduce the Jc magnetic field (H) decay characterized by a smaller exponent α of the power law decay. This method opens up a new approach for how to increase Jc under an applied magnetic field without the need for an extra process. This study brings new meaning to the so-called optimal deposition conditions, since it will depend on the field and temperature region of the application.
Coating designs for oxidation control of Mo–Si–B alloys

Abstract Oxidation of a three phase (Mo+Mo 5 SiB 2 +Mo 3 Si) Mo–Si–B alloy in air at 1000 and 1200 °C yields borosilicate and MoO 2 product layers. The formation of MoO 2 indicates that the borosilicate layer restricts the oxygen activity. A coating strategy based upon a kinetic biasing to limit the oxygen flux and enhance oxidation resistance is presented.
Production of a macromolecular bone-resorbing factor by the hypercalcemic variant of the walker rat carcinosarcoma.

The Walker rat 256 carcinosarcoma is a spontaneous rat breast tumor which has two unique variants, one of which is always associated with severe hypercalcemia and one which is not associated with hypercalcemia when the tumor is carried im. To determine the factor responsible for hypercalcemia, we established tumor cells derived from both variants in culture and found that the tumor cells from the hypercalcemic variant release an acid-soluble and acid-stable bone-resorbing factor of approximately 25,000 mol wt. Cells from the normocalcemic variant produce no bone-resorbing activity. These data are consistent with the notion that hypercalcemia in this animal model of the humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy is due to a macromolecular bone-resorbing factor which is acid and heat stable and requires disulfide bonds for biological activity. (Endocrinology 115: 1746–1752, 1984)
Dangerous and common drug interactions in patients with diabetes mellitus.

The choice of medications for the patient with diabetes presents special problems not encountered in the nondiabetic patient. The number of medications used in the management of hyperglycemia has dramatically increased in the past few years. The risk for possible drug interactions that may cause hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, or other deleterious effects increases exponentially as the number of medications in a patient's regimen increases. In addition to the risk for adverse interactions caused by prescription medications, the potential exists for interactions with over-the-counter medications. One other concern specifically encountered in the patient with diabetes is the potential for drug effects or interactions that may adversely affect diabetic complications, accelerating the progression of nephropathy, retinopathy, gastroparesis, and sexual dysfunction, among others. In the patient with diabetes, the practitioner must consider the possibility of drug interactions that could alter glycemic control, interactions that could potentiate complications, and the usual types of interactions encountered in nondiabetic patients (e.g., cytochrome P450 interactions). This article provides a brief discussion concerning the importance of and pharmacologic basis of drug interactions and reviews some of the more common and potentially dangerous interactions encountered in the management of patients with diabetes.
Determination of fatty acids in butter fat using temperature-programmed gas chromatography of the butyl esters

Abstract Substituting n -butanol for the methanol specified in the AOAC Official methods of analysis (sections 28.056–28.059) yields the butyl esters of the fatty acids with complete recovery of the volatile short-chain acids. Fatty acid butyrates can be determined using a continuous multistage temperature-programmed gas chromatographic method, with a 10% apolar 10C column. The results of the analysis in 1982, of fifty butters were compared with those of thirty butters analyzed in 1974. There were no practical significant differences in the fatty acid compositions of the 1974 and 1982 butters. A urea fractionation technique was used to concentrate minor components for identification and estimation.
A comparison of the frisby, random-dot e, tno, and randot circles stereotests in screening and office use

• Three random-dot stereogram (RDS) tests, the Frisby, Random-Dot E (RDE), and TNO tests, and a stereotest with monocularly visible contours, the Randot circles test, were administered to two populations of 3- to 5-year-old children in vision screening settings and to a sample of patients with strabismus and amblyopia. The Frisby test missed (underreferred) cases of binocular dysfunction detected by the RDE and TNO tests, using a 250 seconds of arc (250") (Frisby and RDE) or 240" (TNO) threshold as the pass-fail breakpoint. The TNO underreferred cases at 240" relative to the RDE, but underreferred none if the TNO's breakpoint was lowered to 120". The Randot circles test produced better-indicated stereoacuities than the RDS tests and was found able to reliably grade stereoacuity in patients with stereopsis too poor to be graded by RDS tests.
The risk of biased selection in forward-going surveys with nonprofessional interviewers

Abstract A questionnaire, given to a class of 129 first-year medical students, revealed that more than one-half of them held opinions which, if allowed to influence selection of subjects in a forward-going etiologic survey, would bias the results. This indicates a risk of bias in the selection by nonprofessional interviewers, but there appears to be no possibility of eliminating bias by training. The only safe method is automatic selection.
Differential regulation of insect globin and actin mRNAs during larval development in Chironomus thummi.

Abstract S1 nuclease protection assays were used to measure changes in the steady-state levels of six different globin (Gb) mRNAs in the midge, Chironomus thummi thummi (C. thummi, Diptera) during larval development. Two distinct patterns of change were observed. GbI, IV, VIIB-4 and VIIB-5 transcripts were present in 3rd instar larvae, rose from low levels immediately post-moult to peak levels by day 2–3 of the 4th instar, and then declined, reaching near-basal levels by day 7–8. In contrast, transcripts of GbIII (known from previous studies to be 4th instar-specific) and VI, which were undetectable in the 3rd instar, rose to high levels by day 2 of the 4th instar, but remained elevated thereafter. Our data further showed that closely linked Gb genes were not necessarily expressed in a coordinate manner. Unlike the Gb mRNAs, actin (Act) mRNA levels (measured by slot-blot hybridization to a heterologous probe) increased progressively as a proportion of total RNA during 4th instar development. Therefore, the regulation of C. thummi Gb transcript levels is specific, differing from that of Act and among the Gb mRNAs themselves. Elevated 20-hydroxyecdysone (HE) titer at the 3rd-4th instar moult correlates with the low steady-state levels of Gb mRNAs immediately post-moult. However, other aspects of Gb mRNA profiles cannot be explained on the basis of a direct repressive effect by HE on Gb gene transcription.
Fusion of multi-agent preference orderings

Abstract The problem of fusing the preferences of multiple agents with respect to a set of possible courses of action is described in this work. The approach developed in this work does not require a common scale, neither numeric, linguistic or ordinal, to be shared by the interacting agents; it only requires that each agent provide their preferences over the different courses of action in terms of an ordering relationship, information of the type: action A is perferred to action B . Even though the method developed uses a minimal amount of information from the agents it can support various different types of relationships with respect to an agent's importance in the problem of coming to a fused group consensus.
The diverse pathology and kinetics of mass, nonmass, and focus enhancement on MR imaging of the breast

Purpose To compare the pathology and kinetic characteristics of breast lesions with focus, mass and nonmass-like enhancement.
ConsiderIt: improving structured public deliberation

We designed, built, and deployed ConsiderIt to support the Living Voters Guide, a website where any voter could participate in writing a voters' guide for the 2010 election in Washington. ConsiderIt is a new method of integrating the thoughts of many into a coherent form, while nudging people to consider tradeoffs of difficult decisions with an intuitive interface.
EFFECTS OF PRELOADING ON BRITTLE SOLIDS

This paper develops a general theory that addresses the preloading effects on the strength of brittle solids as a consequence of the progressive cracking within the framework of continuum damage mechanics theories. To accommodate the effects of rotation of the loading paths in the stress-strain behavior of the material, it defines an effective damage parameter. The rate of the damage parameter is obtained from the consistency condition of the loading (damage) surface. Based on the directionality of the loading paths, damage is stored in appropriate directions through the components of material compliance. The compliance and inelastic strain tensors are separated into tensile and compressive components to address the material behavior in damage modes I and II, respectively. Because of the lack of experimental data that assess the effects of orthogonal preloading, the model is compared with failure simulations published by the University of Colorado. Stiffness recovery upon load reversal, an important feature of brittle solids, is modeled by introducing an effective compliance tensor in mode I. Finally, to demonstrate the model's ability to replicate both proportional and nonproportional stress paths, it is compared against the experimental data.
Long QT Syndrome Patients With Gene Mutations

In their article in this issue of Circulation , Schwartz and colleagues1 deliver not only an important message in the rapidly advancing field of long QT syndrome but an equally important message concerning the marriage of basic science and clinical medicine. Hence, the study affects our understanding of (1) the pathophysiology of this disease process, (2) the planning of appropriate medical care, and (3) the supportive roles of basic and clinical research in bettering the human condition. The idiopathic long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an uncommon disease first reported formally by Jervell and Lange-Nielsen in 1957.2 The family they described was beset with the association of congenital deaf-mutism, long QT interval, and sudden death. Romano et al3 in 1963 and Ward4 in 1964 reported families in whom QT prolongation and sudden death occurred with an autosomal-dominant inheritance, contrasted with the autosomal-recessive pattern of the Jervell–Lange-Nielsen syndrome. Although the LQTS is by no means common (fewer than 500 families worldwide had been incorporated into an international registry by 19945 ), its role is magnified by the frequency of occurrence of syncope, life-threatening arrhythmias, and sudden death. Indeed, about 21% of symptomatic patients who are untreated die within a year of their first syncopal episode, and mortality climbs to about 50% in 10 years.6 Moreover, it is likely that the number of reported cases is only a fraction of those actually occurring.5 The disease threatens afflicted families both physically and psychologically, and its phenotypic heterogeneity has led to some difficulties in deciding who is or is not at risk of sudden death and how to prevent or treat the life-threatening arrhythmias. Heterogeneity is evidenced in part by the observations that 5% to 10% of gene carriers have no QT prolongation7 and that about 5% …
Pulmonary oncocytes in prolonged hyperoxia.

Abstract Continuous exposure of newborn mice to 100% oxygen resulted in the appearance of oncocytes in the lungs of the experimental animals. These oncocytes, which were present in the epithelial lining of the conductive as well as the transitional airways, may be the morphologic expression of an accentuated type of compensatory mitochondrial hypertrophy caused by the need for, or exhaustion of one or more of the mitochondrial enzymes secondary to the hyperoxia. The functional significance of these cells and their possible relationship to pulmonary oncocytomas are discussed.
Non-surgical management of multicystic dysplastic kidney

OBJECTIVES To better define the outcome and association of multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) with hypertension, vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR), infection and cancer, as there is no consensus on the management of patients born with MCDK. The risk of cancer has dictated the surgical management of the disease in the past. METHODS The Medline database was searched for articles published between 1965 and 2006 and written in the English language, and containing the keywords ‘multicystic dysplastic kidney’. RESULTS The inclusion criteria were met by 105 reports that were subsequently analysed. Of MCDK, 60% regress or involute within 3 years. About 25% of patients will have VUR into the contralateral kidney, of which 90% is grade ≤3. The risk of urinary tract infection appears to be associated with VUR or coexistent abnormalities rather than the MCDK. The risk of hypertension is no greater than that in the general population and nephrectomy is usually not curative. The overall risk of Wilms’ tumour developing in a MCDK is <1 in 2000. All reported Wilms’ tumours were identified before 4 years of age and 70% presented as a palpable mass. CONCLUSIONS Published reports support the non-surgical management of MCDK. Common practice has been to remove palpable or growing MCDKs, although these represent a very small fraction of MCDKs. In theory, ultrasonographic surveillance until 4 years old might allow the earlier detection of a Wilms’ tumour, and decrease the intensity of chemotherapy and improve prognosis. Previous reports do not prove or disprove this concept, and the appropriate frequency of surveillance is not evident.
Exact solutions to some constrained aperture-synthesis problems

The problem of finding the distribution that produces the best mean-square approximation to a given far-field pattern has been solved exactly for a number of nonplanar apertures, subject to a restriction on the Q factor of the aperture.
Promoting Professionalism in Infant Care: Lessons From a Yearlong Teacher Preparation Project

Teacher research served as both the content and frame of analysis for this study. Parallel teacher research projects took place over the course of a year as preservice teachers engaged in their first experience with teacher research as part of an infant–toddler development course and the first author (their instructor) engaged in teacher research of her own to assess the effectiveness of this project in enhancing the students' professional preparation to work with families of infants and toddlers. Seven preservice teachers who ranged from 20 to 49 years of age participated. Students engaged in research training, conducted parent interviews, collaboratively analyzed their findings, and advocated for parents by giving presentations at the local and national level. Data collected included student reflections, a postproject survey, and the first author's reflections on her teaching practices. Qualitative findings regarding the students' experiences and construction of knowledge throughout the project are shar...
Narrative Ethics and Vulnerability: Kristeva and Ricoeur on Interdependence

The character and extent of disabilities, especially cognitive disability, have posed significance problems for existing moral theories. Certain philosophers have even questioned the moral personhood of people with disabilities and have argued that people with profound cognitive impairments should not be granted the same moral status as those who are cognitively able-bodied. This paper proposes an alternative understanding of moral personhood as relational rather than individuated. This relational moral personhood finds its foundation in the clinical practice and psychoanalysis of Julia Kristeva and the hermeneutic narrative identity of Paul Ricoeur. One consequence of this relational personhood is a new understanding of moral status through narrative co-authorship rather than intellectual or social capacity. Another consequence is a refiguration of narrative identity as narrative interdependence.
Impurity profiling to match a nerve agent to its precursor source for chemical forensics applications.

Chemical forensics is a developing field that aims to attribute a chemical (or mixture) of interest to its source by the analysis of the chemical itself or associated material constituents. Herein, for the first time, trace impurities detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and originating from a chemical precursor were used to match a synthesized nerve agent to its precursor source. Specifically, six batches of sarin (GB, isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) and its intermediate methylphosphonic difluoride (DF) were synthesized from two commercial stocks of 97% pure methylphosphonic dichloride (DC); the GB and DF were then matched by impurity profiling to their DC stocks from a collection of five possible stocks. Source matching was objectively demonstrated through the grouping by hierarchal cluster analysis of the GB and DF synthetic batches with their respective DC precursor stocks based solely upon the impurities previously detected in five DC stocks. This was possible because each tested DC ...
Common extensions of semigroup-valued charges

Let $A$ and $B$ be fields of subsets of a nonempty set $X$ and let $\mu:\,A\to E$ and $\nu:\,B\to E$ be finitely additive measures (``charges'') taking values in a commutative semigroup $E$. We assume that $\mu$ and $\nu$ are consistent, that is, they agree on $A\cap B$, $a\leq b$ implies that $\mu(a)\leq\nu(b)$ (for $a\in A$, $b\in B$), and symmetrically (where $x\leq y$ means that there exists $z$ such that $x+z=y$, for all $x$, $y\in E$). We investigate conditions on $E$ such that any two consistent $E$-valued measures on certain types of fields of sets have a common extension on a larger Boolean algebra. In particular, if the only condition is that $A$ and $B$ are finite, then we obtain the so-called "grid property" on $E$, and we prove that this grid property is finitely axiomatizable.
Apolipoprotein E containing high density lipoprotein stimulates endothelial production of heparan sulfate rich in biologically active heparin-like domains. A potential mechanism for the anti-atherogenic actions of vascular apolipoprotein e.

Abstract Reduced heparin and heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans (PG) have been observed in both inflammation and atherosclerosis. Methods to increase endogenous heparin and heparan sulfate are not known. We found that incubation of endothelial cells with 500–1,000 μg/ml high density lipoprotein (HDL) increased35SO4 incorporation into PG by 1.5–2.5-fold. A major portion of this increase was in HS and was the result of increased synthesis. Total PG core proteins were not altered by HDL; however, the ratio of 35SO4 to [3H]glucosamine was increased by HDL, suggesting increased sulfation of glycosaminoglycans. In addition, HDL increased the amount of highly sulfated heparin-like HS in the subendothelial matrix. HS from HDL-treated cells bound 40 ± 5% more125I-antithrombin III (requires 3-O sulfated HS) and 49 ± 3% fewer monocytes. Moreover, the HS isolated from HDL-treated cells inhibited smooth muscle cell proliferation (by 83 ± 5%) better than control HS (56 ± 6%) and heparin (42 ± 6%). HDL isolated from apolipoprotein E (apoE)-null mice did not stimulate HS production unless apoE was added. ApoE also stimulated HS production in the absence of HDL. ApoE did not increase35SO4 incorporation in macrophages and fibroblasts, suggesting that this is an endothelial cell-specific process. Receptor-associated protein inhibited apoE-mediated stimulation of HS only at higher (20 μg/ml) doses, suggesting the involvement of a receptor-associated protein-sensitive pathway in mediating apoE actions. In summary, our data identify a novel mechanism by which apoE and apoE-containing HDL can be anti-atherogenic. Identification of specific apoE peptides that stimulate endothelial heparin/HS production may have important therapeutic applications.
Turtle Lung Cells Produce a Melanization‐Stimulating Activity That Promotes Melanocytic Differentiation of Avian Neural Crest Cells

We found previously that neural crest cells in turtle embryos migrated into the lung buds and melanocytes were located in the lungs. The finding suggested to us that the lungs provide a stimulatory factor(s) to the differentiation of neural crest cells into melanocytes. We have established lung cell lines to facilitate analysis of the interactions of neural crest cells with the environment in melanocyte development. One cell line, TLC-2, was found to produce a putative melanization-stimulating activity (MSA), which promoted the melanocyte differentiation in vitro of avian neural crest cells. The TLC-2-derived MSA was different from that of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), and steel factor (SLF). Its molecular weight was estimated to be within the range of 150 kD. Our findings suggest that MSA may be a novel factor exercising a positive control over melanocyte differentiation.
Therapeutic targeting of microenvironment in follicular lymphoma

Immune and nonimmune microenvironmental factors play a critical role in the progression, transformation, and resistance to therapy in follicular lymphoma (FL). A recent increase in our understanding of the role of microenvironment in FL biology has led to the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting the nonimmune and immune microenvironment. These include immunomodulatory drugs, immune checkpoint inhibitors, immnunoconjugates, and small-molecule inhibitors with an impact on the microenvironment in addition to direct antitumor activity. These agents are now at different stages of clinical development, ranging from early clinical trials in relapsed disease to phase 3 studies in the upfront setting, including combinations with other agents such as monoclonal antibodies and chemotherapy. It is important to recognize that, although the current upfront therapy of FL is associated with favorable outcomes in the majority of patients, a significant proportion experience early disease progression and develop treatment resistance and transformation to aggressive lymphoma. Although the development of “chemo-free” combinations using drugs targeting the microenvironment offers a promising approach to minimize toxicity, the identification of patients at risk of relapse and the use of biomarkers allowing the personalization of therapy will likely play a major role in the development of maintenance strategies. Against this landscape of currently available therapy options, this chapter discusses the clinical status of therapies targeting the microenvironment in FL. Learning Objectives ● To recognize the current therapy options of FL and expected outcomes ● To identify the therapeutic importance of targeting the FL microenvironment ● To recognize the mechanism of action and clinical activity of checkpoint inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, and novel immunoconjugates in FL ● To recognize the impact of small-molecule inhibitors on the microenvironment and clinical activity of these agents in FL
RELIGION, SOCIAL SUPPORT, FOOD-RELATED SOCIAL SUPPORT, DIET, NUTRITION, AND ANTHROPOMETRICS IN OLDER ADULTS

Religion is an important aspect of many people's lives, especially for older adults. However, very little data exists about the relationships between religion, food-related social support, diet, nutrition, and anthropometrics in older U.S. adults. Social support may be a possible mechanism for religion-diet/nutrition relationships. This analysis examined these relationships in a sample of 424 older individuals. Religion was related to some dietary behaviors in men, and in dietary behaviors and anthropometrics in women. Religion's relationship with anthropometrics as well as diet in women may have been due to women's greater religiousness and involvement in food acquisition, preparation, and distribution in religious gatherings.
Cancellation of ISI in non-linear voice-band data channels

A technique for cancellation of intersymbol interference (ISI) in nonlinear voice band data channels that contain second and third order nonlinear elements is presented. A data-aided nonlinear canceller structure based on a configuration proposed by E. Biglieri et al. (IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun. vol.SAC-2, no.5, p.765-77, Sept. 1984) is used to remove nonlinear ISI without excessive noise enhancement. While the scheme proposed by Biglieri et al. uses a least mean square (LMS) adaptation algorithm, the authors choose to use a recursive least squares (RLS) adaptation algorithm in order to provide a faster convergence of the algorithm and improved robustness when applied to a variety of channels. A fast version of the RLS algorithm with computational complexity of order O(9N) (where N is the order of the nonlinear filter) is derived. The performance of the nonlinear canceller with both fast RLS and LMS adaptation is evaluated by simulation for 16-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) data transmission over nonlinear channels with a rate of 9600 bit/s. The simulation results show a performance improvement when the fast RLS version is used as compared with the LMS. >
Precoarsening to Improve Microstructure and Sintering of Powder Compacts

This paper reports that MgO and Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] are sintered by two types of processes: a conventional isothermal sintering and a two-step sintering consisting of an initial low-temperature precoarsening treatment before conventional isothermal sintering. The final microstructure from two-step sintering can be more uniform and finer than that of compacts sintered conventionally. A narrow-size-distribution alumina powder is sintered under constant-heating-rate conditions, with and without a precoarsening treatment, and the results were compared. The differences between two-step and conventional processing are clarified by experiments on precoarsened and as-received ZnO powders. A computational model is used with two components of coarsening to describe the differences in pore spacing evolution between the precoarsened and the as-received system.
Roads in northern hardwood forests affect adjacent plant communities and soil chemistry in proportion to the maintained roadside area

The spatial extent of the transported materials from three road types was studied in forest soil and vegetative communities in Vermont. Hypotheses were two-fold: 1) soil chemical concentrations above background environment would reflect traffic volume and road type (highway>2-lane paved>gravel), and 2) plant communities close to the road and near roads with greater traffic will be disturbance-tolerant and adept at colonization. Soil samples were gathered from 12 randomly identified transects for each of three road types classified as "highway," "two-lane paved," and "gravel." Using GIS mapping, transects were constructed perpendicular to the road, and samples were gathered at the shoulder, ditch, backslope, 10 m from the edge of the forest, and 50 m from road center. Sample locations were analyzed for a suite of soil elements and parameters, as well as percent area coverage by plant species. The main effects from roads depended on the construction modifications required for a roadway (i.e., vegetation clearing and topography modification). The cleared area defined the type of plant community and the distance that road pollutants travel. Secondarily, road presence affected soil chemistry. Metal concentrations (e.g., Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) correlated positively with road type. Proximity to all road types made the soils more alkaline (pH 7.7) relative to the acidic soil of the adjacent native forest (pH 5.6). Roadside microtopography had marked effects on the composition of plant communities based on the direction of water flow. Ditch areas supported wetland plant species, greater soil moisture and sulfur content, while plant communities closer to the road were characteristic of drier upland zones. The area beyond the edge of the forest did not appear to be affected chemically or physically by any of the road types, possibly due to the dense vegetation that typically develops outside of the managed right-of-way.
A Guidebook and a Research Model: A Review of Doing Excellent Small - Scale Research

A guidebook and a research model – Doing Excellent Small-Scale Research (Layder, 2013) provides both. First, Professor Layder has written a book that is just what he intended: “an introductory guide” for research students. It provides a process for clearly defining problem and topic questions, advice regarding research designs, methods for data collection and analysis, real-life examples, and a logical sequence tying everything together. Second, the author offers an Adaptive Research Model as a practical approach for conducting social research. This model and this book are recommended (by the reviewer) for research students and teachers, both undergraduate- and graduate-level. Keywords: Adaptive Research, Orienting Concepts, Problem Questions, Research Logs, Social, Research This review covers two aspects of the book, Doing Excellent Small-Scale Research (Layder, 2013): (a) as an educational text, and (b) the Adaptive Research Model. First, Professor Layder has written a book that is just what he intended: “an introductory guide” for research students. It demonstrates how to define problem and topic questions to begin the research process, and provides advice regarding research designs, methods for data collection and analysis, real-life examples, and a logical sequence tying everything together. Second, the author offers an Adaptive Research Model as a practical approach for conducting social research. This model and this book are designed (and recommended by the reviewer) for undergraduate- and graduate-level research students and teachers.
Predictability Studies of the Intraseasonal Oscillation with the ECHAM5 GCM

Abstract Our ability to predict active and break periods of the Asian summer monsoon is intimately tied to our ability to predict the intraseasonal oscillation (ISO). The present study analyzes the upper limit of potential predictability of the northern summer ISO, as it is simulated by the ECHAM5 atmospheric general circulation model forced with climatological SSTs. The leading extended empirical orthogonal functions of precipitation, computed from a 10-yr control simulation, are used to define four different phases of the ISO. Fourteen-member ensembles of 90-day hindcasts are run for each phase of the three strongest ISO events identified in the 10-yr control run. Initial conditions for each ensemble are created from the control simulation using a breeding method. The signal-to-noise ratio is analyzed over a region that covers the core of the Asian summer monsoon activity. Over Southeast Asia, the upper limit for predictability of precipitation and 200-hPa zonal wind is about 27 and 33 days, respectivel...
Conductance studies in a double-bend quantum structure

Abstract Transport phenomena in a double-bend quantum structure fabricated in the two-dimensional electron gas of a modulation doped GaAs/AlGaAs structure, are studied experimentally. The structure consists of an electrostatically defined quantum dot with two one-dimensional wires connected on opposite corners of the dot. The current–voltage characteristics of such devices exhibit quantized conductance breakdown (non-linear behavior), conductance variation with confinement, and non-linear and asymmetric behavior at high bias condition. Low temperature conductance of this structure shows evidence of resonant tunneling, while the peaks of the conductance vary with temperature.
Taste reactivity and consumption measures in the assessment of overshadowing: Modulation of aversive, but not ingestive, reactivity.

Three dependent measures—a taste reactivity test, a two-bottle preference test, and a one-bottle extinction test—were used to investigate the conditioning effects of pairing a taste/taste compound with LiCl-induced illness in rats. Avoidance of saccharin consumption in the one-bottle test was attenuated if saccharin and denatonium were paired during illness training (overshadowing). Also, saccharin was found to be more palatable if paired with denatonium during training as reflected by aversive (but not ingestive) taste reactivity measures. It is argued that overshadowing was reflected mainly by a modulation of aversive taste reactivity behavior with little influence on ingestive taste reactivity. The results are discussed in terms of current palatability issues, and it is suggested that applying taste reactivity tests to phenomena associated with taste avoidance learning (e.g., overshadowing or potentiation) may further our understanding of the mechanisms that guide such learning.
Potential sand sources for the dune fields in Noachis Terra, Mars

[1] No sand transport pathways are visible in a study performed in Noachis Terra, a 60° × 35° region in the southern highlands of Mars known for its many intracrater dune fields. Detailed studies were performed of five areas in Noachis Terra, using Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide-angle mosaics, Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) daytime and nighttime infrared mosaics, MOLA digital elevation and shaded relief maps, and MOC narrow-angle images. The lack of observable sand transport pathways suggests that such pathways are very short, ruling out a distant source of sand. Consistent dune morphology and dune slipface orientations across Noachis Terra suggest formative winds are regional rather than local (e.g., crater slope winds). A sequence of sedimentary units was found in a pit eroded into the floor of Rabe Crater, some of which appear to be shedding dark sand that feeds into the Rabe Crater dune field. The visible and thermal characteristics of these units are similar to other units found across Noachis Terra, leading to the hypothesis that a series of region-wide depositional events occurred at some point in the Martian past and that these deposits are currently exposed by erosion in pits on crater floors and possibly on the intercrater plains. Thus the dune sand sources may be both regional and local: sand may be eroding from a widespread source that only outcrops locally. Sand-bearing layers that extend across part or all of the intercrater plains of Noachis Terra are not likely to be dominated by loess or lacustrine deposits; glacial and/or volcanic origins are considered more plausible.
Catalyzing collaboration: Wisconsin's agency-initiated basin partnerships.

Experience with collaborative approaches to natural resource and environmental management has grown substantially over the past 20 years, and multi-interest, shared-resources initiatives have become prevalent in the United States and internationally. Although often viewed as “grass-roots” and locally initiated, governmental participants are crucial to the success of collaborative efforts, and important questions remain regarding their appropriate roles, including roles in partnership initiation. In the midst of growing governmental support for collaborative approaches in the mid-1990s, the primary natural resource and environmental management agency in Wisconsin (USA) attempted to generate a statewide system of self-sustaining, collaborative partnerships, organized around the state’s river basin boundaries. The agency expected the partnerships to enhance participation by stakeholders, leverage additional resources, and help move the agency toward more integrated and ecosystem-based resource management initiatives. Most of the basin partnerships did form and function, but ten years after this initiative, the agency has moved away from these partnerships and half have disbanded. Those that remain active have changed, but continue to work closely with agency staff. Those no longer functioning lacked clear focus, were dependent upon agency leadership, or could not overcome issues of scale. This article outlines the context for state support of collaborative initiatives and explores Wisconsin’s experience with basin partnerships by discussing their formation and reviewing governmental roles in partnerships’ emergence and change. Wisconsin’s experience suggests benefits from agency support and agency responsiveness to partnership opportunities, but cautions about expectations for initiating general-purpose partnerships.
Effect of Fuel Composition on NOx Formation in Lean Premixed Prevaporized Combustion

The effect of fuel composition on NON formation in lean premixed prevaporized (LPP) combustion is examined using an atmospheric pressure jet-stirred reactor fitted with a prevaporizingpremixing chamber and liquid fuel atomizing nozzle. Four liquid fuels are studied, including the pure hydrocarbons n-heptane (C,H,,) and n-dodecane (C„H„), No. 2 low sulfur diesel fuel oil (LSDF042) with 0.0195% sulfur and 0.0124% nitrogen by weight, and ndodecane doped with n-ethylethylenediamine (C,H 5NHCH 2CH2NI-1, or C,H„N,) to give 0.0096% nitrogen by weight in the doped fuel. For comparison, propane (C,H,) is burned. The combustion temperature range of the experiments is 1625 to 1925K, and the nominal residence time of the reactor is 3.5ms. The rust objective of the work is to determine the effect which increasing fuel carbon number has on the NOx yield of high-intensity LPP combustion. For combustion at 1800K, an increase of 15 to 20% is measured in the NOx yield when the fuel is changed from C,H, to C„H„. Comparison to earlier work on CH, and C,H, combustion in the jetstirred reactor operating at 1800K shows essentially an identical increase in NOx yield between CH, and C,H, as between C,H, and C 13 11„. The second objective of the work is to determine the conversion of fuel-nitrogen to NOx for the combustion of low nitrogen content fuels in high-intensity IPP combustion. The measurements indicate a fuel-nitrogen to NOx conversion of 70 to 100%. These conversion values should be regarded as preliminary since only two nitrogen-containing fuels have been examined and only one prevaporizer-premixer system has been used.
Organismic Remote Sensing for Tropical Forest Ecology and Conservation1,2

Abstract Tropical forests are vast and scientifically underexplored places. Biotic losses, gains, and reorganization within these systems go undetected due to a lack of access to technologies needed to monitor forest cover, composition, and carbon content. Provision of forest cover-monitoring tools for non-scientists has, thus, become a focus of innovation in the remote-sensing community, while advances in high-resolution forest carbon and biodiversity mapping science has progressed more slowly. This paper focuses on high-resolution remote-sensing developments to measure and monitor tropical forest canopies at the “organismic scale,” which is the resolution that resolves individual canopies and species throughout the forest landscape. Emphasis is placed on how forest carbon stocks can be mapped with precision and accuracy comparable to that of field-based estimates. Biodiversity mapping poses the greatest challenge, but recent advances in three-dimensional functional and structural trait imaging can revea...
Tidal breathing pattern differentially antagonizes bronchoconstriction in C57BL/6J vs. A/J mice

There is abundant evidence that tidal breathing, and especially tidal breathing at elevated minute ventilation, antagonizes the development and persistence of airflow obstruction during bronchocons...
The Phaseolus vulgaris ZIP gene family: identification, characterization, mapping, and gene expression

Zinc is an essential mineral for humans and plants and is involved in many physiological and biochemical processes. In humans, Zn deficiency has been associated with retarded growth and reduction of immune response. In plants, Zn is an essential component of more than 300 enzymes including RNA polymerase, alkaline phosphatase, alcohol dehydrogenase, Cu/Zn superoxidase dismutase, and carbonic anhydrase. The accumulation of Zn in plants involves many genes and characterization of the role of these genes will be useful in biofortification. Here we report the identification and phlyogenetic and sequence characterization of the twenty three members of the ZIP (ZRT, IRT like protein) family of metal transporters and three transcription factors of the bZIP family in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Expression patterns of seven of these genes were characterized in two bean genotypes (G19833 and DOR364) under two Zn treatments. Tissue analyzed included roots and leaves at vegetative and flowering stages, and pods at 20 days after flowering. Four of the genes, PvZIP12, PvZIP13, PvZIP16, and Pv bZIP1, showed differential expression based on tissue, Zn treatment, and/or genotype. PvZIP12 and PvZIP13 were both more highly expressed in G19833 than DOR364. PvZIP12 was most highly expressed in vegetative leaves under the Zn (-) treatment. PvZIP16 was highly expressed in leaf tissue, especially leaf tissue at flowering stage grown in the Zn (-) treatment. Pv bZIP1 was most highly expressed in leaf and pod tissue. The 23 PvZIP genes and three bZIP genes were mapped on the DOR364 x G19833 linkage map. PvZIP12, PvZIP13 and PvZIP18, Pv bZIP2, and Pv bZIP3 were located near QTLs for Zn accumulation in the seed. Based on the expression and mapping results, PvZIP12 is a good candidate gene for increasing seed Zn concentration and increase understanding of the role of ZIP genes in metal uptake, distribution and accumulation of zinc in P. vulgaris.
Mothers' emotional arousal as a moderator in the socialization of children's empathy

Overall, our findings suggest that the moderating effects of maternal affective arousal in the socialization of children's empathic responding are complex. On the one hand, at low levels of mothers' affective intensity, positive relations were found between children's sad facial reactions and mothers' prosocial suggestions. At the highest levels of affective responding, however, mothers' altruistic responding was significantly and positively related to children's sad facial responses, and mothers' altruism and inductive reasoning was negatively related to children's distressed facial reactions (Table 2). The negative relation of mothers' inductions and altruistic responding to children's facial distress reactions at high levels of mothers' affective responding could be interpreted to mean that these practices are associated with decreases in children's personal distress reactions to distressed peers (that is, with decreases in one's focus on one's own negative feelings). However, the positive relations between mothers' inductions and altruistic responding and children's facial distress reactions at low levels of mothers' emotional responding could support the interpretation of facial distress reactions as vicarious emotional responses. The affective response depicted by the children in the empathy films involved physical distress, so a purely vicarious affective (that is, empathic) response might be expected to be expressed facially as a distressed reaction. Thus, the variability in the results regarding children's facial distress reactions suggests that to interpret them as an index of either empathy or personal distress requires considering the nature of the empathy stimulus and may ultimately require assessing additional criterion variables (for example, examining the relation of facial distress reactions to actual prosocial behavior). Results not found in previous research were that high-intensity parental affect combined with negative control practices was associated with a lessening of children's sympathetic orientations, whereas situational definitions were positively associated with children's facial distress reactions to peer distress. The variability in these findings may be explained, in part, by the interpretation that parental affect may potentiate the impact of the semantic content of parental messages to the child. That is, if the content of the message is inductive, the mother's intense affect may heighten the meaningfulness of the relation between the child's behavior and its consequences for the peer's situation or feelings (unless, of course, the parent overwhelms the child with information).