cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Density-functional theory of the surface tension of simple liquid metals

A general density-functional formalism for an inhomogeneous liquid metal is described. The free energy is expressed in terms of two densities: electronic and ionic. In the limit of small spatial density variations of arbitrary wave number, the electron density can be eliminated exactly and the free energy expressed as a functional of the ionic density alone, although the electronic degrees of freedom are still implicitly present. This formalism is applied within the gradient approximation to calculate the surface tension and surface widths of a number of simple liquid metals. The free-energy density is evaluated within the structural expansion in conjunction with a hard-sphere variational approximation to treat the liquid structure, and the gradient coefficient is calculated using a mean-spherical-like approximation to estimate the direct correlation function. This first-principles calculation thus has as input only a parameter describing the pseudopotential and the bulk liquid density. Results for the surface tension of the alkali metals are in excellent agreement with experiment. The temperature derivative of the surface tension is calculated to within a factor of 3 of experiment and probably within experimental error bars. Results for Al and Zn lead to a surface tension which is considerably larger than experiment. Surface widths are in all instances computed to be quite narrow but in reasonable agreement with available experiment. It is argued that discrepancies for the polyvalent metals arise not from the theory itself but rather from difficulty in calculating parameters of the theory from first principles. To verify this, a simple scaling form for surface tension is proposed, motivated by the density-functional theory but in which the relevant parameters are estimated in terms of the liquid density and melting temperature. Agreement with experiment for the scaling expression is at least as good as existing empirical expressions. Finally, a formalism is described which permits, in principle, calculation of both the electronic and ionic singlet density near the liquid surface. Both one-body and two-body forces are obtained, although no numerical evaluations of these are presented. The possible relevance of these to liquid surface structure is briefly discussed.
Language Change Following Computer-Assisted Language Instruction with Fast ForWord or Laureate Learning Systems Software.

This exploratory study was designed to evaluate functional language changes during and after treatment with language intervention software. Two children with language impairments received Fast ForW...
Alkaline Activation of Al 7075-T6 For Deposition of Cerium-based Conversion Coatings

Abstract The effect of alkaline activation on the morphology and corrosion performance of cerium-based conversion coatings deposited on Al7075-T6 was studied. Prior to coating deposition, alloy panels were activated in aqueous solutions containing Na 2 CO 3 or NaOH. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that as-deposited coatings on Na 2 CO 3 activated substrates had fewer surface cracks, fewer craters, and were more uniform than those activated with NaOH. Post-treatment of coatings in a NaH 2 PO 4 solution improved the corrosion resistance and reduced the number of visible cracks; however, some regions still exhibited large cracks (> 0.5 μm wide). Subsurface crevices were found under craters and regions with large cracks, which were fewer for coatings on Na 2 CO 3 activated substrates compared to coatings on NaOH activated substrates. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy testing showed that post-treated coatings on Na 2 CO 3 activated panels had total impedance of ~ 200 kΩ cm 2 compared to ~ 50–100 kΩ cm 2 for coatings on NaOH activated panels. Alkaline activation promoted deposition of corrosion resistant coatings with Na 2 CO 3 activation exhibiting the best corrosion resistance and the least amount of subsurface damage.
Self-Regulated Learning and Externally Generated Feedback with Hypermedia

Think-aloud and self-report data from 65 undergraduates were used to examine the effect of feedback on self-regulation during learning with hypermedia. Participants, randomly assigned to one of three conditions (Control, Questions, Questions+Feedback), used hypermedia for 30 minutes to learn about the circulatory system. Results indicated that participants in the Questions+Feedback condition initially reported significantly lower levels of self-efficacy. However, they also reported increased levels as they progressed through the learning task. Additionally, participants in the Questions and Questions+Feedback conditions engaged in monitoring processes and activated prior knowledge more frequently, on average, than those in the Control condition. Lastly, participants in the Questions condition used significantly more strategies and outperformed those participants in the Questions+Feedback condition.
Conductance and noise signatures of Majorana backscattering

We propose a conductance measurement to detect the backscattering of chiral Majorana edge states. Because normal and Andreev processes have equal probability for backscattering of a single chiral Majorana edge state, there is qualitative difference from backscattering of a chiral Dirac edge state, giving rise to half-integer Hall conductivity and decoupling of fluctuation in incoming and outgoing modes. The latter can be detected through thermal noise measurement. These experimental signatures of Majorana fermions are robust at finite temperature and do not require the size of the backscattering region to be mesoscopic.
Insights into the age of the Mono Lake Excursion and magmatic crystal residence time from (U-Th)/He and ^(230)Th dating of volcanic allanite

We present new data for the age of the Mono Lake Excursion at its type locality. Using the (U-Th)/He system on allanite, we dated Wilson Creek Ash 15 (Lajoie, 1968) to 38.7 ± 1.2 ka (2 SE). The new age for this ash supports the hypothesis (Kent et al., 2002; Zimmerman et al., 2006) that the Mono Lake Excursion is coincident with, and probably the same event as, the Laschamp Geomagnetic Excursion (40.4 ± 2 ka), an event that shares similar magnetic characteristics with the excursion identified at Mono Lake. We also estimate an allanite magma residence time of slightly less than 30 ka based on ^(230)Th/^(238)U disequilibrium and the (U-Th)/He-based eruption age.
Towards a Non‐Essentialist Pedagogy of “Islam”

. Traversing a rock-strewn terrain of essentialist methodologies historically employed for teaching Islam, the author espouses a non-Essentialist pedagogy that combines critical reflection, analysis of historical methods, and development of an appreciation for alternative notions about Islam and global interdependence. In this essay the author contends that teaching Islam ought to avoid our and their language and instead aim at helping students think in critically reflective, creative, and relational ways so that they might learn to “think of civilizations as transformative, reflexive, and fluid entities.”
Resonance Raman scattering as a probe of electron—nuclear coupling: comparison of the relative intensity and absolute cross-section transform methods

Abstract We present the results of a resonance Raman study of the overtone and combination bands of ferrocytochrome c . These bands are weak, but they can still be resolved in rosonance with the Soret transition and compared to the fundamental intensities in order to extract the electron—nuclear coupling without the use of absolute scattering cross-sections. As a result, we can test the absolute cross-section transform method, which determines the coupling by scaling the measured light scattering intensities to a value predicted by a Kramers-Kronig transform. The comparison of the two methods is encouraging.
Endotoxin content and clinical reactivity to influenza vaccines.

Influenza vaccines which had been used in investigations designed to measure clinical reactivity were analyzed for their endotoxin content. There was wide variation in the endotoxin content of these influenza vaccines, but there was no correlation between the endotoxin content and systemic reactivity. Factors which appear to correlate with reactivity include the method of purification, the dose and type of antigen, and the age of the recipient.
Heat transfer between a circular free impinging jet and a solid surface with non-uniform wall temperature or wall heat flux—1. Solution for the stagnation region

Abstract The heat transfer in the boundary layer region of a circular free jet impinging on a flat solid surface with non-uniform wall temperature or wall heat flux is investigated analytically. The flow is laminar, incompressible and steady. The analysis begins with obtaining the solution to the problem with a step change in wall temperature or wall heat flux. The solution to the corresponding problem with arbitrary wall temperature or wall heat flux is obtained by superposition. This solution is then matched with that for the stagnation region obtained in the first part of this study so that the Nusselt number throughout the stagnation region and the boundary layer region is obtained. The results indicate that the Nusselt number for increasing wall temperature or wall heat flux can be considerably higher than that for constant wall temperature or wall heat flux outside the stagnation region. For the special case of constant wall temperature, the result is in good agreement with the integral solution ofChaudhury.
Characterization of acetylcholinesterase activity in the larval brain of Manduca sexta

Abstract The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of the larval brain of Manduca sexta was characterized both biochemically and in terms of molecular aggregation. Enzyme activity was substrate inhibited, stimulated by Mg 2+ and the AChE exhibited a > 10-fold greater affinity for acetylcholine (23 μM) than for acetylthiocholine (250 μM). Inhibition studies indicated that the enzyme under study was a true AChE. More than 98% of the activity was associated with a particulate fraction of the brain, but the enzyme was solubilized completely by treatment with 1% Triton X-100. The solubilized enzyme appeared as a single band of activity on native gels and as a single peak ( M r = 110,000 ; 5.7 S) after sucrose density centrifugation. Electrophoresis of the AChE labelled with [ 3 H]diisopropylfluorophosphate on denaturing gels revealed a major peak of radioactivity at 54 kDa. It appears that the larval brain contains a single molecular species of AChE composed of two subunits.
Assessment of metageneralized gradient approximation and screened Coulomb hybrid density functionals on bulk actinide oxides

Recent advances in the field of density functional theory afford increasingly accurate and efficient studies on a wide range of materials, but validation of any new computational method requires comprehensive benchmarking of its performance on various classes of systems. In the present work, we assess two newly developed density functionals on bulk uranium and plutonium oxides, for which structural, magnetic, and one-electron properties are calculated. The new functionals are the metageneralized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) of Tao, Perdew, Staroverov, and Scuseria (TPSS) and the screened Coulomb hybrid functional of Heyd, Scuseria, and Ernzerhof (HSE). Their predictions are compared to those of the local spin density approximation (LSDA), the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) realization of the GGA, and a hybrid implementation of the latter (PBE0). The nonhybrid density functionals LSDA, PBE, and TPSS generally fail to provide a satisfactory qualitative description of the electronic and magnetic structure of actinide oxides. TPSS improves upon the LSDA in the prediction of bulk parameters, but only to a level of accuracy comparable to that of PBE. It however outperforms both of them for one-electron properties, as it predicts a nonzero band gap for antiferromagnetic plutonium oxides. HSE is computationally more efficient than its parent functional PBE0, while being at least as accurate for structural, one-electron and magnetic properties. The predictions of HSE agree well with experiment where known, making it suitable for calculations on transitional and $f$-element compounds.
Usort: An efficient hybrid of Distributive Partitioning Sorting

A new hybrid of Distributive Partitioning Sorting is described and tested against Quicksort on uniformly distributed items. Pointer sort versions of both algorithms are also tested.
Raman spectrum and lattice dynamics of NbTe2

Abstract Raman scattering measurements on the layered-structure compound NbTe 2 are reported. No evidence for a phase transition is found for temperatures between 80 K and 420 K. A group-theoretical analysis of the crystal structure predicts 51 optic phonon branches, with 24 of these being Raman-active. The observed Raman spectrum is interpreted in terms of the phonon branches of the much simpler CdI 2 structure.
Methylphenidate Transdermal System in Adults with Past Stimulant Misuse: An Open-Label Trial.

ADHD is now recognized not only as a disease of childhood but also a condition that may have symptoms that persist into adulthood in as many as 65% of cases (Barkley, 2006). The prevalence rate of current adult ADHD is estimated to be 4.4% (Kessler et al., 2006). Adults with ADHD have an approximately twofold higher lifetime risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) compared to adults without ADHD (Biederman et al., 1993). Individuals with ADHD may use substances for a variety of reasons, including impulsivity, impaired social and occupational functioning, and self-medication (Sullivan & Rudnik-Levin, 2001). ADHD has been shown to predict earlier age of onset of SUDs (Wilens, Biederman, Mick, Faraone, & Spencer, 1997). Also, individuals with ADHD have been noted to have a shorter transition time from drug abuse to drug dependence, a longer duration of SUD, and a slower rate of remission (Biederman, Wilens, Mick, Faraone, & Spencer, 1998; Wilens, Biederman, & Mick. 1998). Treatment seeking cocaine abusers with comorbid ADHD have been shown to have a more chronic course of addiction and a higher relapse rate following treatment than cocaine abusers without ADHD (Carroll & Rounsaville, 1995). Methylphenidate and amphetamines are considered to be among the first line of treatment for ADHD in children (Greenhill et al., 2002). Although treating children and adolescents with stimulants does not appear to increase the risk of SUDs (Wilens et al., 2008), little is known about the abuse of prescription stimulants in adults with ADHD. An analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 1.3% of adults aged between 18 and 25 years and 0.9% of adults aged of 26 years or older reported nonmedical use of stimulants indicated for the treatment of ADHD (Kroutil et al., 2006). Significant concern regarding stimulant misuse exists; therefore, regulatory mandates are enforced to control distribution, and some physicians may be reluctant to use stimulants in patients with drug abuse histories. A transdermal formulation of methylphenidate was approved in 2006 by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ADHD in children. Because the transdermal formulation may increase compliance when minimizing abuse potential, it may be an attractive treatment option in the large population of individuals who have a history of previous drug use. The primary aim of this s study is to assess the efficacy of methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) in adults diagnosed with ADHD who have misused stimulants in the past. It was hypothesized that MTS would improve ADHD symptoms in this population with minimal substance abuse.
A possible role of Golgi membrane-associated galactosyltransferase in the formation of zymogen granule glycoproteins

Abstract A galactosyltransferase activity in smooth microsomes and Golgi membrane-rich fractions from rat pancreas glycosylated endogenous acceptors during incubation with UDP-[ 14 C]galactose in the absence of exogenous glycoproteins. To evaluate the role of this activity in secretion, the endogenous products were partially characterized. Galactose-labeled fractions were sequentially extracted in 0.2 m NaHCO 3 and 0.25 m NaBr to prepare membranes and soluble acceptors. Bound radioactivity was equally distributed between these two fractions. Analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate indicated that the particulate galactose-labeled polypeptides were distinct from the soluble galactose acceptors. Rabbit antisera against highly purified zymogen granule membranes precipitated approximately 40% of the radioactivity of the particulate fraction when solubilized in nonionic detergents. In polyacrylamide gels, the galactose-labeled species of the immunoprecipitate migrated with zymogen granule membrane glycoproteins. Rabbit antisera against secretory proteins cross-reacted with less than 5% of the galactose-labeled soluble acceptors. Mature zymogen granule membranes neither contained detectable galactosyltransferase activity nor served as galactosyltransferase acceptors. These results suggest that galactosyltransferase activity associated with membranes derived from the Golgi complex glycosylated zymogen granule membrane precursors. Analysis of [ 14 C]galactolipids did not implicate lipid intermediates in this process.
Conformal treatment of prostate cancer with improved targeting: superior prostate-specific antigen response compared to standard treatment.

Purpose : Conformal radiation therapy (CRT) decreases the morbidity of prostate cancer treatment, but no published data attest to the improved ability of CRT to control disease. Therefore, we compared Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) response at 1 year among similarly staged patients treated by conformal techniques to those treated with conventional approaches, looking for an early indicator of tumor response. Method and Materials : Patients with locally advanced disease were treated by pelvic fields followed by prostate field conedowns ; those with early stage/low grade disease received only prostate field irradiation. Between October, 1987 and November, 1991, conventional treatments used rectangular beams with or without corner blocks. Neither urethrography nor immobilization casts were used for conventionally treated patients. Between April, 1989 and December, 1992, conformal treatments have used rigid immobilization and Comptuted Tomography-based, beams-eye-view field design. As such, our conformal approach allowed improved targeting. Median prescribed doses (minimal doses to the Planning Target Volume) were 70 Gy (66-73 Gy) and 70.2 Gy (64.8-75 Gy) for conventionally and conformally treated patients, respectively. Median daily fraction size was 1.8 Gy for conventional treatment and 2.0 Gy for conformal therapy. Baseline PSA data were available on 170 consecutive patients treated conformally and 90 consecutive patients treated conventionally. Results : Among those receiving only prostatic field irradiation, 12-month PSA values returned to normal in 96% and 85% of conformally and conventionally treated patients, respectively, when normalization was defined as 15), and the use of conformal irradiation were statistically significant prognostic discriminants of PSA normalization at 1 year while total irradiation dose, clinical stage, and the addition of pelvic fields were not significant. Conclusions : As measured by PSA normalization, conformal techniques with improved targeting produced responses that were significantly better than conventional techniques among patients treated with definitive irradiation. These results, coupled with our previously documented reduction of acute and chronic sequelae, support the continued use of CRT as a more effective method of treatment for prostate cancer.
Extracellular Matrix and Integrin Signalling: The Shape of Things to Come

The extracellular matrix (ECM) and integrins collaborate to regulate gene expression associated with cell growth, differentiation and survival. Biochemical and molecular analyses of integrin signalling pathways have uncovered several critical cytoplasmic proteins that link the ECM and integrins to intracellular pathways that may contribute to anchorage-dependent growth. A large body of evidence now indicates that the non-receptor protein kinases focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and specific members of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including the extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), mediate these ECM- and integrin-derived signalling events. However, little is known about how FAK and MAPKs contribute to biological processes other than cell proliferation or migration. In addition, remarkably little is known concerning the signalling events that occur in cells that adhere to complex multivalent extracellular matrices via multiple integrin receptors. Given the stringent requirement for attaining a proper morphology in ECM/integrin-directed cell behaviour, it is still not clear how cell shape and tissue architecture impact upon intracellular signalling programmes involving FAK and MAPKs. However, the recent discovery that members of the Rho family of small GTPases are able to regulate ECM/integrin pathways that modulate both cell shape and intracellular signalling provides new insights into how cell morphology and signal transduction become integrated, especially within three-dimensional differentiated tissues.
Parainfluenza infection of aged mice results in autoimmune disease.

Abstract An outbreak of parainfluenza type 1 (Sendai) virus infection in an aging mouse colony during our studies on immunologic aging permitted us to investigate the inverse temporal association between the decline in normal immune functions and the increased frequency of autoimmune manifestations. Emphasis was placed on the as yet unresolved issue of whether a decline in normal immune function precedes and, thus, predisposes to autoimmune disease (AID), or whether AID precedes and, thus, compromises normal immune function. Fifty-eight weight, cellular, activity, and autoimmune indexes were tested on each individual mouse before the viral infection and 63 indexes were tested up to 6 months afterward. The findings reported here show that a decline in the T cell, but not the B cell, component of the immune system precedes AID and that infection with a common respiratory virus can initiate AID in immunologically immature and immunodeficient aging individuals.
Study to determine the correlation between condom breakage in human use and laboratory test results

Condom use is stressed to reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Condoms may however break during sexual intercourse. This study was conceived and designed to provide the most conclusive results to date on the relationship between laboratory test data and condom breakage during vaginal intercourse. While the most sophisticated study conducted prior to this one examined breakage rates in only 4 different lots of condoms this study investigated a sample of 20 different lots of silicone-lubricated latex condoms differing in age storage history and laboratory test performance. Of the 20 lots 4 were newly manufactured from 4 different U.S. manufacturers. The remaining lots had been made by one U.S. manufacturer for the U.S. Agency for International Development and were retrieved from overseas warehouses. 262 U.S. couples employed 4589 condoms over a 4-month period. Breakage rates ranged from 3.5% in a new lot to 18.6% in one lot 81 months old. Based on these field results tensile and airburst tests appear to be highly accurate in predicting condom breakage rates during use. Condom age however was the best predictor of breakage during use. Additional studies should be conducted to confirm the degree to which condom breakage may be predicted on the basis of age especially for condoms over 2 years and under 5 years old.
Outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with a history of illicit drug use

To date, no studies have been conducted on the effects of illicit drug use in patients with ischemic heart disease treated with coronary artery bypass grafting. Our retrospective study suggests that current illicit drug use is a significant predictor of cardiovascular complications in the first 6 months after coronary artery bypass grafting.
Effects of porcine somatotropin (PST) administration on the fat/lean content and processing properties of pork bellies.

Porcine somatotropin (PST)-supplemented pigs were slaughtered at 109 or 131·8 kg; bellies were analyzed for compositional and bacon processing characteristics and compared with bellies from controls (slaughtered at 109 kg). Bellies from control and 109 kg, PST-treated pigs were significantly lighter (P < 0·01) in weight whereas the PST-treated bellies were significantly (P < 0·01) leaner than controls regardless of slaughter weight. The leaner bellies resulted in greater (P < 0·01) brine pickup, reduced smokehouse yields and bacon with less fat regardless of slaughter weight. Frying yield for the bacon from PST-treated pigs was significantly (P < 0·01) higher than that of the controls probably because of the fat/lean difference. The changes observed in bacon from PST-supplemented pigs appear to be due to the compositional change induced by PST administration.
Ethnic/Racial and Genetic Influences on Cerumen Odorant Profiles

This report describes the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with human cerumen (earwax) and the effects of ethnicity/race and variation on the ATP-binding cassette, sub-family C, member 11 gene (ABCC11). A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in ABCC11 affects the cerumen VOC profiles of individuals from African, Caucasian, and Asian descent. Employing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) we have identified the nature and relative abundance of cerumen VOCs from 32 male donors. Our results show that cerumen contains a complex mixture of VOCs and that the amounts of these compounds vary across individuals as well as across ethnic/racial groups. In six of the seven compounds whose detected concentrations were found to be statistically different across groups, individuals of African descent (AfD) > Caucasian descent (CaD) > Asians descent (AsD). Our findings also reveal that ABCC11 genotype alone does not predict the type and relative levels of volatiles found in human cerumen, and suggest that other biochemical pathways must be involved. Examination of the composition and diversity of external auditory canal microbiota in a small subset of our subject population revealed that the ear microbiota may not be directly correlated with either ethnic group membership or ABCC11 genotype.
Predictors of Survival After Coronary Bypass Grafting in Patients With Total Occlusion of the Left Main Coronary Artery

Twenty-three patients with angiographically documented total occlusion of the left main coronary artery were retrospectively identified. Statistical analysis suggests that poor right-to-left collaterals and the presence of concurrent significant right coronary artery disease were weakly associated with decreased survival after bypass surgery.
Intraplane to interplane optical interconnects with a high diffraction efficiency electro-optic grating

We report on a new optical interconnect architecture for three-dimensional, multiple electro-optic gratings with LiNbO(3) used in conjunction with substrate guided waves. First the operating mechanism of the system is studied in detail, and the momentum mismatch in the operating process of the system is also demonstrated. We then derive a new method for calculating coupling efficiency by introducing a compensation for the mismatch. This theoretical research allows the new optical interconnect architecture to provide a higher design accuracy and an optimized coupling efficiency, even though it is under the case of momentum mismatch. We achieve this result by introducing a substrate guided wave with 45 degrees bouncing angle and 100-V applied voltage. The successful design and its theoretical analysis will be helpful for research on the grating coupler.
Mechanical design synthesis from sparse feature-based input

We are researching a new paradigm for CAD which aims to support the early stages of mechanical design well enough that designers are motivated to actually use the workstation as a conceptual design tool. At the heart of our approach is shape synthesis, the computer generation of part designs. The need for such automation arises from the fact that any mechanical part is defined by two kinds of geometry: features that are critical to its function (application features), and the material that merely fleshes out the rest of the part (bulk shape). Application features are most often associated with contact surfaces of the part, for example, a bore for a bearing or a mounting surface for a motor. They are the high-level entities in terms of which the designer reasons about the design. Bulk shape must obey certain constraints, such as noninterference with other parts, minimum allowable thickness of the part, etc., but is somewhat arbitrary. We are developing a system wherein the designer inputs the application features, along with topological constraints, degrees of freedom, and boundary volumes, then the bulk shapes of the parts are synthesized automatically. Overall economy is enhanced by reducing the amount of input necessary from the designer, by providing for more complete exploration of the design space, and by enhancing manufacturability and assemblability of the component parts. This paper presents the functional requirements of such a system, and discusses preliminary results.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Understanding the factors that enable and inhibit the integration of operations, purchasing and logistics

Abstract This exploratory research makes a first attempt at building a comprehensive model of the drivers of internal integration. A series of case studies are used to develop a more complete understanding of the factors that enable and inhibit efforts at building integration across operations, purchasing and logistics. The results suggest that this is a complex phenomenon driven by a number of factors including the structure and culture at the plant, reward systems and the amount of formal and informal communication across the functions. The end result of the research is a testable model of how integration can be built across these three key internal supply chain functions.
IPOMOEA SAWYERI (CONVOLVULACEAE), A NEW SPECIES FROM PERU

Ipomoea sawyeri shows no obvious relationship with any other species in Peru. It shares the persistent, foliose bract condition with the Ecuadorian speciesI. harlingii, and the BrazilianI. echinocalyx, and is probably allied with them.
Radial Control of Recognition and Redox Processes with Multivalent Nanoparticle Hosts

Mixed Monolayer Protected Gold Clusters (MMPCs) featuring both hydrogen bonding and aromatic stacking molecular recognition functionalities have been used to create multivalent hosts for flavins. Multitopic binding of these hosts to flavin was shown to have a strong radial dependence: when the recognition site was brought closer to the MMPC surface, recognition was enhanced ∼3-fold due to increased preorganization. The effect of preorganization is reversed upon reduction of flavin, where the MMPC with longer side chains bind the flavin guest ∼7-fold stronger than the short chain counterpart due to unfavorable dipolar interactions between the electron-rich aromatic stacking units of the host and the anionic flavin guest. This fine-tuning of recognition and redox processes provides both a model for enzymatic systems and a tool for the fabrication of devices.
Developments in Voice-Input Technology

Abstract As computer technology becomes more sophisticated, business educators are again confronted with an alternative form of data input. For years, the QWERTY keyboard, with its design flaws, has been the primary means of data input. However, researchers have developed an alternative means that uses speech-to-text dictation and that will most likely present a serious challenge to the QWERTY keyboard-voice-input technology. Considering the level of sophistication and relative ease of use of this technology, its impact on busi-ness education appears imminent.
Pliocene-Pleistocene oxygen isotope record Site 586, Ontong Java Plateau

Abstract Oceanographic changes in the western equatorial Pacific during the past 6 Ma are inferred from oxygen isotopic analyses of planktic and benthic foraminifera from Ontong Java Plateau (DSDP Site 586). The taxa areGlobigerinoides sacculifer, Pulleniatina, Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi, andOridorsalis umbonatus. Cooling and ice buildup are indicated by an18O enrichment of 0.3‰ in the planktic species near 3.4 Ma. This shift apparently is compensated in the benthic data by a warming of the deep waters by between 1° and 2°C. We suggest that the dominant source of upper deep water supply to the Pacific changed from Antarctic to North Atlantic at that time, the North Atlantic-derived water being warmer. Near 2.8 Ma (approximately) the planktic foraminifera again record an enrichment in18O (Δδ18O=0.25‰). We suggest ice buildup in the northern hemisphere as the cause, because of subsequent sharp increase in fluctuations of the δ18O signal, that is, instability. The enrichment is magnified in the benthic foraminifera (Δδ18O=0.5‰) by a cooling of the deep water by 1.5° at the time, presumably signalling a glacial-type reduction of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) production. Episodic divergence between the signals ofG. sacculifer andPulleniatina in the Pleistocene apparently reflects periods of increased upwelling in the western equatorial Pacific. The amplitude of ice volume fluctuations cannot be reconstructed from δ18O data alone, unless there are constraints on temperature variations. The increase in amplitude of fluctuation of the benthic and planktic signals during the Pleistocene may be attributed either to an increase in maximum ice volume, or to an increase in the fractionation of continental ice, or a combination of both causes.
EFFECT OF CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM ON TREES.

To THE EDITOR OF SCIENCE: My attention has been attracted to an article in your columns by Professor H. A. Surface relative to the use of cyanide of potassium for eliminating insect attacks on trees. While I have not investigated the claim of the firm at Allentown, Pennsylvania, referred to in his article, and know nothing about their process, however, from my own results with cyanide of potassium, especially on elms and black locusts, I am convinced it is a valuable remedy. The article above referred to gives the general impression that cyanide of potassium is the cause of tree death as well as various staining effects found in the bark, cambium, etc. My opinion is that the staining comes from the reaction between the tannic acid found in all trees and the iron found in this so-called "tree food" in the form of iron sulphate. It is well known that when solutions of tannic acid are brought into contact with iron or any iron salt, dark colored compounds resembling ink are formed. These are very permanent dyes and no doubt account for the dark color observed. The cyanide of potassium as I have used it for years in eliminating borers from various trees has never caused any staining, nor have I ever known of its killing or in any way injuring a tree. I have been using it and prescribing it for the use of others for about twelve years in connection with my forestry work, and we have saved the lives of thousands of trees by means of it. Large groves of thrifty elms and black locusts in Kansas and other parts of the west have been completely rescued from the attacks of boring and girdling insects by means of cyanide of potassium, and this article is the first intimation I have ever had to the effect that it is deleterious to tree growth. I am strongly inclined to feel that the blame is not properly placed and that a highly useful chemical for insect eradication is being condemned because of damages produced by other substances. C. H. SHATTUCK TUNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
Stimulus compounding in the discrimination learning of kindergarten children

Abstract Kindergarten children were presented a series of 180 two-trial simultaneous discrimination problems composed of four distinct types. The basis for distinction was the number of cues available for solution on Trial 2. Type I had only a single component cue, color or form; Type II, a component cue and one compound cue, positive or negative; Type III, one component and both compound cues; and Type IV, both component and both compound cues. Estimates of compounding, male from comparisons of Trial 2 performance between problem Types I and II and between II and III, revealed that both positive and negative compound cues acquired habit strength and to approximately the same degree. Response tendencies to component cues were also evidenced by a significant difference between Trial 2 performance for Type I problems and chance. Normal children, like retardates, were able to use as functional cues much of the stimulus information, both simple and complex, although this information was provided for a relatively brief duration.
Effects of canopy tree species on belowground biogeochemistry in a lowland wet tropical forest

Abstract Tropical rain forests are known for their high biological diversity, but the effects of plant diversity on important ecosystem processes in this biome remain unclear. Interspecies differences in both the demand for nutrients and in foliar and litter nutrient concentrations could drive variations in both the pool sizes and fluxes of important belowground resources, yet our understanding of the effects and importance of aboveground heterogeneity on belowground biogeochemistry is poor, especially in the species-rich forests of the wet tropics. To investigate the effects of individual tree species on belowground biogeochemical processes, we used both field and laboratory studies to examine how carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycles vary under nine different canopy tree species – including three legume and six non-legume species – that vary in foliar nutrient concentrations in a wet tropical forest in southwestern Costa Rica. We found significant differences in belowground C, N and P cycling under different canopy tree species: total C, N and P pools in standing litter varied by species, as did total soil and microbial C and N pools. Rates of soil extracellular acid phosphatase activity also varied significantly among species and functional groups, with higher rates of phosphatase activity under legumes. In addition, across all tree species, phosphatase activity was significantly positively correlated with litter N/P ratios, suggesting a tight coupling between relative N and P inputs and resource allocation to P acquisition. Overall, our results suggest the importance of aboveground plant community composition in promoting belowground biogeochemical heterogeneity at relatively small spatial scales.
Exploiting redundancy to reduce impact force

Presents strategies for reducing the impact force resulting from the collision of a kinematically redundant manipulator with an object in its environment. The Premultiplier Diagram, a tool used to derive the impact force reduction strategies presented, is introduced and discussed. Two strategies for reducing impact force are then presented. The first strategy involves adding torques to the joints of the redundant manipulator to impede motion into the object with which it collides. The second strategy involves choosing the best configuration for the impact event. Simulated results from the testing of either strategy are presented and discussed. >
A stereospecific synthesis of 2-isopropylidene-cis,cis-4,8-dimethyl-6-keto-cis-decahydroazulene

Abstract A stereospecific synthesis of 2-isopropylidene-cis,cis-4,8-dimethyl-6-keto-cis-decahydroazulene (3) has been accomplished. Each of the 19 synthetic steps proceeds in good to excellent yields and the overall route permits a facile synthetic entry to carbocyclic systems of this type.
Exact Jastrow-Gutzwiller resonating-valence-bond ground state of the spin-(1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain with 1/r2 exchange.

A set of Jastrow wave functions comprises exact eigenstates of a family of S= $\frac{1}{2}$ antiferromagnetic chains with ${\mathrm{r}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$ exchange. The ground state of the isotropic model is in this set, and is identical to the U\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} limit of the Gutzwiller wave function, also identified as Anderson's ``resonating-valence-bond'' state. The full set of energy levels of this model is obtained; the spectrum exhibits remarkable ``supermultiplet'' degeneracies suggesting the existence of a hidden continuous symmetry.
Role of threshold in afterimage visibility.

The negative afterimage from a grating can be considered equivalent to a real grating, the contrast of which decreases over time. The interval between the onset of the afterimage and the time at which the effective contrast of the afterimage falls below threshold defines afterimage duration. In a series of experiments several predictions based on this formulation were confirmed. Square-wave gratings yielded longer afterimage durations than sinusoidal gratings, a difference that is attributable to the difference in threshold between these two types of grating. Also, grating adaptation before afterimage induction was found to abbreviate afterimage duration because of threshold elevation. Finally, it was found that, even after fading to invisibility, an afterimage could interact with a real grating to influence threshold performance on a forced-choice detection task.
Negative correlation between compositional symmetries and local recombination rates

Although still not much understood, the universal reverse complement symmetry in genomes may contain much information about the genome. In this article, under the hypothesis that recombination rate variations may be related to the high order DNA structure, we studied the association between local recombination rates and local symmetry levels in mouse, rat and human. We found significant negative correlations between recombination rates and reverse complement compositional symmetries in these three organisms. This negative correlation pattern also held at individual chromosome levels when data only from each individual chromosome was analyzed. Contact: hongyu.zhao@yale.edu
Defining the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a term that was first proposed in 1969 for a distinctive subgroup of unexpected infant deaths that occur during the postneonatal period with relatively consistent clinical, epidemiological, and pathological features. This term played an important role by focusing attention on a major category of postneonatal infant death, providing support to grieving families, and diminishing the guilt and blame characteristic of these deaths. Unfortunately, the application of this term has become increasingly controversial. Some have applied it too liberally, and others not at all. According to the definition proposed in 1969, despite slight changes suggested in 1989, SIDS remains a diagnosis of exclusion. Although this syndrome has several distinctive features, including age distribution and apparent occurrence during sleep, there has been reluctance to include these features in the definition. The problems created by the lack of an adequate definition are discussed. A 2-tiered approach is suggested, with a more general definition intended primarily for case management and death administration, and a more restrictive one intended primarily for research purposes, which distinguishes those deaths closely fitting the classic SIDS profile from those with one or more less typical features.
Risk factors for fecal and urinary incontinence after childbirth: the childbirth and pelvic symptoms study.

Risk Factors for Fecal and Urinary Incontinence After Childbirth: The Childbirth and Pelvic Symptoms Study
An Historical Antecedent of Modern Guidelines for Community Pandemic Influenza Mitigation

David M. Morens, MDa Jeffery K. Taubenberger, MD, PhD3 Gregory K. Folkers, MS, MPHa Anthony S. Fauci, MDa National and international pandemic influenza planning has been stimulated by concerns about an unprecedented panzootic of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus, fatal to 245 humans as of September 10, 2008.1 In these planning efforts, public health officials have looked to previous influenza pan demics for information about prevention measures adopted and their proven or perceived efficacy. After the isolation of influenza A virus in 1930, and its serologic identification2 as the cause of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic,3 vaccines were developed and used for seasonal influenza and in the subsequent pandemics of 1957 and 1968. Antiviral medications were used in the last two of these pandemics as well. Before these important advances, however, the prin cipal countermeasure against pandemic influenza had been the application of sound public health practice based predominantly upon what has lately been called "community mitigation."4 A 2007 review of historical information from 43 American cities during the 1918-1919 pandemic, the most explosive and fatal on record, suggests to some that standard public health measures might be beneficial in a future pandemic.4 Thus, it is of interest to consider expert consensus opinion about pandemic influenza prevention at the time of the 1918-1919 pandemic. This article examines one such report (based largely upon European and American experiences) from the principal international public health agency of the time, and compares it to modern prevention/mitigation recommendations.
Adaptive control of aerospace systems using neural networks

In this paper we describe an approach to the adaptive control of aerospace systems. The approach is based on the computed-torque method used for adaptive control of robotic manipulators. We show how a similar scheme can be developed for typical aerospace models, resulting in a computed-torque method for aerospace systems. In our strategy the plant models used in the computed-torque algorithm can be estimated using a neural network. >
The effects of a combination of text structure awareness and graphic postorganizers on recall and retention of science knowledge

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a self-regulated strategy on immediate recall and retention of science knowledge in community-college anatomy and physiology students who participated in a 14-hour (8 weeks) study skills class. The class emphasized the recognition of five common science textbook text structures (cause and effect, classification, enumeration, generalization, and sequence) and the construction of graphic postorganizers of the text structures. A pretest, two immediate posttests, and a retention posttest were used to measure recall and retention. Results indicated that on immediate posttests students who actively constructed graphic postorganizers of the test structure recalled significantly more content than did the control students who simply underlined, reread, or highlighted. On a 3-week retention posttest, those students in the study skills class retained significantly more of the material studied than did the control group of students.