cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recontextualizing Satire of Brahmanical Dharmaśāstra in the Aggañña Sutta*1

This article takes up passages that allow for comparison of Buddhist and Brahmanical ‘law’ in dharma??stra (including the early dharmas?tras) and Vinaya. The discussion of Vinaya draws on Steven Collins’s demonstration of Vinaya allusions in the Agganna Sutta. The article revisits the advocacy for a pre-Mauryan dating of this sutta, arguing that it is unlikely. It proposes that we redirect discussions of the Agganna Sutta’s satiric and humorous allusions to Brahmanical law and practices to focus on the moment that involves the building of houses. And, taking this sutta to refer to written ‘books’, it challenges scholarly insistence on its orality.
Synthesis and pharmacological profile of two novel heterocyclic chromanols, CP-80,798 and CP-85,958, as potent LTD4 receptor antagonists

Abstract The development of two novel LTD 4 receptor antagonists as clinical candidates for the treatment of asthma is described. The first generation compound, CP-80,798, was found to be a balanced 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor (5-LOI)/LTD 4 antagonist (LTD 4 -A), while the second generation compound, CP-85,958, is a selective LTD 4 antagonist.
Coronary venous retroinfusion of procainamide: a new approach for the management of spontaneous and inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia during myocardial infarction.

The efficacy of retrograde coronary venous delivery of procainamide for the management of spontaneous and inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia was evaluated and compared with systemic intravenous procainamide administration in 22 conscious dogs with permanent left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. Selective retrograde injection of procainamide was achieved through an autoinflatable balloon catheter placed in the great cardiac vein, with the tip positioned in the vicinity of the site of left anterior descending coronary occlusion. Great cardiac vein retroinfusion of procainamide was significantly (p It is concluded that regional coronary venous procainamide retroinfusion in dogs with myocardial infarction is more effective than systemic intravenous injection against both spontaneous and inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia. The greater efficacy of great cardiac vein treatment appears to be primarily related to selectively increased delivery of procainamide to ischemic myocardial sites.
Ab initio computed molecular structures and energies of the conformers of glucose

Ab initio computations indicate the existence of several stable and some unstable conformers in isolated α and β glucose molecules. All of the lower-energy conformers exhibit a strikingly regular pattern of internal hydrogen bonding. Five such stable structures have been identified for each of the α and β anomers, differing primarily in the orientation of the CH 2 OH group. In each conformer, the α anomer is predicted to be lower in energy than the corresponding conformers of β anomer. The difference is about 2 kcal/mol in the 4-31G basis but only 0.4 kcal/mol in the 6-31G * basis
Evidence against a hemodynamic role for serotonin in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus

Abstract This study was performed to investigate the potential role of serotonin (5-HT) in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (dmn)) in regulating peripheral hemodynamics. Microinjections (5 or 25 nmol in 50 nn of the monoaminergic neurotransmitter were made into the dorsomedial medulla of the urethane-anesthetized rat during continuous recording of femoral arterial blood pressure. Heart rate was extracted electronically from the pressure waveform. Discrete injections of 5-HT placed directly in the dmnX were found to be entirely without effect on peripheral hemodynamics. In contrast, injections placed in the solitary tract nucleus, lying immediately above the dmnX, were found to have profound depressor and bradycardic effects, while the immediately subjacent hypoglossal nucleus appeared to contain both depressor and unresponsive sites. These findings cast doubt on the involvement of serotonin in the dmnX in the regulation of cardiovascular hemodynamics.
Mineralogy affects geoavailability, bioaccessibility and bioavailability of zinc.

We correlated mineralogical and particle characteristics of Zn-containing particles with Zn geoavailability, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability following gavage and intranasal (IN) administration in rats. We compared samples of Zn/Pb mine waste and five pulverized pure-phase Zn minerals ( hydrozincite > hemimorphite > zincite ≈ smithsonite >> sphalerite. We found significant correlations among geoavailability, bioaccessibility and bioavailability. In particular, Zn bioavailability post-gavage and post-IN was significantly correlated with bioaccessibility in simulated phagolysosomal fluid and gastric fluid. These data indicate that solid phase speciation influences biological uptake of Zn and that in vitro tests can be used to predict Zn bioavailability in exposure assessment and effective remediation design.
In vivo evidence of brain galactitol accumulation in an infant with galactosemia and encephalopathy

In a newborn infant with galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase deficiency and encephalopathy, brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed cytotoxic edema in white matter. Using in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we detected approximately 8 mmol galactitol per kilogram of brain tissue, an amount potentially relevant to the pathogenesis of brain edema.
Political science and tourism

Abstract Political Science addresses the theory and practice of politics. It describes and analyzes political behavior and political systems. It has evolved from a normative and descriptive discipline into one which utilizes more behavioristic approaches to the study of political phenomena. Political scientists have engaged in a constant effort to apply their discipline to the study of tourism since the early 1970s. This article reviews those contributions and addresses the appropriateness of examining political dimensions of tourism behavior from the perspective of the political scientist. The paper calls for greater integration of the study of tourism politics with the other skills required in the training of tourism practitioners.
Finding the Missing Link - Modeling the Conformational Space of the Active and Inactive forms of E. Coli Ribonucleotide Reductase

Ribonucleotide Reductase (RNR) is an enzyme that catalyzes the production of deoxyribonucletides from ribonucleotides. The active form of E. coli RNR is comprised of two homodimeric subunits, α2 and β2, and catalysis involves radical transfer between Y122 on the β2 subunit and C439 on the α2 subunit. By contrast, recent structural data suggest that the dATP-inhibited (inactive) form of the enzyme corresponds to an α4β4 ring. In this structure Y122 on the β2 subunit and C439 on the α2 subunit are separated by more than 60 angstroms - a finding that explains, in part, why this structure is inactive. Interestingly, in crystal structures of the inactive complex, ∼27 residues near the C-terminus the β2 subunit do not have electron density, suggesting that these residues are disordered in the inactive form of the enzyme. This missing “linker region” contains a tyrosine residue (Y356) that plays a crucial role in radical transfer in the active complex. In this work we use molecular simulations to explore the conformational space of these disordered residues in both active and inactive models of E. coli RNR. Our data suggest that Y356 adopts states that are inconsistent with radical transfer in the inactive complex. These observations argue that inactivity is explained both by the increased distance required for radical transfer, and by the relative position of crucial residues in the flexible linker region in the inactive state.
Edge anti-aliasing algorithms based on morphological operators

In this work, four new efficient anti-aliasing algorithms are presented. Instead of operating in the entire image, these algorithms find the edge maps by using morphological edge detectors and then apply averaging filters only on the regions as indicated by these edge maps. The algorithms show a significant reduction of the aliasing artifacts, commonly known as "jaggies".
Extremal dependence of copulas: A tail density approach

The extremal dependence of a random vector describes the tail behaviors of joint probabilities of the random vector with respect to that of its margins, and has been often studied by using the tail dependence function of its copula. A tail density approach is introduced in this paper to analyze extremal dependence of the copulas that are specified only by densities. The relation between the copula tail densities and regularly varying densities are established, and the tail densities of Archimedean and t copulas are derived explicitly. The tail density approach becomes especially effective for extremal dependence analysis on a vine copula, for which the tail density can be written recursively in the product form of tail densities of bivariate baseline copulas and densities of bivariate linking copulas.
A computer program for maximum likelihood paired comparison rankings.

Abstract We describe a program for obtaining estimates of the rank order of objects in a paired comparison experiment. The program uses Remage and Thompson's dynamic programming algorithm [3] to obtain that ranking which maximizes the likelihood function with the restriction of weak stochastic transitivity.
Cellular events associated with the initial phase of AA amyloidogenesis: insights from a human monocyte model.

Reactive amyloidosis is a systemic protein deposition disease that develops in association with chronic inflammation. The deposits are composed of extracellular, fibrillar masses of amyloid A (AA) protein, an N-terminal fragment of the acute-phase serum protein serum amyloid A (SAA). The pathogenic conversion of SAA into amyloid has been studied in two human cell culture models, peritoneal cells and peripheral blood monocytes. Human monocyte cultures proved more robust than either mouse or human peritoneal cells at initiating amyloid formation in the absence of a preformed nidus such as amyloid-enhancing factor and particularly well suited for examination of individual cells undergoing amyloid formation. Amyloid-producing monocyte cultures were stained with Congo red and Alcian blue for detection of amyloid and glycosaminglycans, respectively; immunocytochemistry was performed to identify SAA/AA, CD68, CD14, lysosomal protein Lamp-1, and early endosomal protein EEA1. SAA interaction with monocytes was als...
Impact of a Shared Medical Appointment Lifestyle Intervention on Weight and Lipid Parameters in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: A Clinical Pilot.

Background: There is a growing awareness that lifestyle behavior modifications may reduce weight and the atherogenic dyslipidemia associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Objective: We pilot the effectiveness of a diabetes educational program combining shared medical appointments (SMAs) with an 8-week DVD-based diabetes education program emphasizing a plant-based diet in lowering weight and lipids in individuals with T2DM. This pilot also employed a nonrandomized convenience sample to explore which of the educational program's target behaviors were associated with the greatest risk factor reduction.Design: Forty-six adult patients with T2DM voluntarily self-selected to enroll in the educational quality improvement initiative run as part of a community clinical practice. Target behaviors measured weekly were (1) days with beans for breakfast, (2) days of exercise, (3) minutes of exercise per day, (4) days with light evening meals, (5) days with no evening meals, (6) days with no red meat...
The large-scale effects of multiple CO2 injection sites on formation stability

Abstract We present results of a recent study investigating consequences of large scale deployment of CO 2 sequestration within a region spanning tens of kilometers. This initial study considered a faulted aquifer bounded above and below by impermeable rock. We performed a parameter study of fault activation due to elevated pore pressures and addressed several combinations of injection scenarios and in situ stress orientations. The simulations were performed using iteratively coupled flow and geomechanical capabilities. For each scenario, a multiple fluid injection was simulated using a non-steady reservoir flow model. At various phases of injection, the pore-pressure field was mapped over to our geomechanical codes to evaluate the evolving stress state throughout the region of interest. The geomechanical analysis specifically investigated the potential for fault activation. The results of the geomechanical simulations were used to update the flow model and modified the subsequent CO 2 plume and pressure perturbation. In addition to demonstrating large scale coupled fluid-geomechanical solver capabilities, the results highlight the importance of site selection, site characterization and in situ stress determination. The results also emphasize that site specific injection scenarios will be required for regions with substantial sequestration resource to manage permitting and deployment in such a way as to avoid unintended negative consequences of large-scale deployment.
Serial oxygen equilibrium and kinetic measurements during RBC storage

Objectives: To contribute to the understanding of the biochemical changes associated with the RBC storage lesion. Aim: To investigate changes in O2 equilibrium and on/off kinetic rates during routine cold storage. Background: As RBCs are stored between 1 and 6°C numerous biochemical changes occur within the RBCs, including changes in the properties of the haemoglobin itself. This study serially analysed for the first time the O2 equilibrium and on/off kinetic rates across the RBC membrane during routine storage. Methods/Materials: The oxygen binding (kon) and offloading (koff) constants were measured in fresh RBCs and then in AS-5-preserved RBCs at weekly intervals, along with oxygen equilibrium curves (OECs), 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), p50 and the Hill number (n). Results: The kon increased slightly as the 2,3-DPG and p50 decreased during storage, whereas the koff remained largely unchanged. The OECs demonstrated the expected increase in O2 affinity, whereas the Hill number was unchanged during storage. Conclusion: In spite of the biochemical, structural and functional changes associated with the storage of RBCs, their in vitro interactions with oxygen were largely preserved through 42 days of storage.
Design of ceramic springs for use in semiconductor crystal growth in microgravity

Segregation studies can be done in microgravity to reduce buoyancy driven convection and investigate diffusion-controlled growth during the growth of semiconductor crystals. During these experiments, it is necessary to prevent free surface formation in order to avoid surface tension driven convection (Marangoni convection). Semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide and germanium shrink upon melting, so a spring is necessary to reduce the volume of the growth chamber and prevent the formation of a free surface when the sample melts. A spring used in this application must be able to withstand both the high temperature and the processing atmosphere. During the growth of gallium arsenide crystals during the GTE Labs/USAF/NASA GaAs GAS Program and during the CWRU GaAs programs aboard the First and Second United States microgravity Laboratories, springs made of pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN) leaves were used. The mechanical properties of these PBN springs have been investigated and springs having spring constants ranging from 0.25 N/mm to 25 N/mm were measured. With this improved understanding comes the ability to design springs for more general applications, and guidelines are given for optimizing the design of PBN springs for crystal growth applications.
Correlation Between Fission Tracks and Fission-Type Xenon from an Extinct Radioactivity

Meteoritic whitlockite containing excess fission tracks has a large concentration of excess neutron-rich xenon isotopes which is 25 times that calculated from the track density. The isotopic spectrum is identical to that calculated previously for the Pasamonte achondrite. These results uniquely associate this spectrum with in situ fission. Identification of the fissioning nucleus as Pu244 gives Pu244/U238 ≅ 1/30 at the time of xenon retention. Neither "sudden" nor "uniform" nucleosynthetic models give consistent solutions for Pu244/U238 and U235/U238.
Use of intrauterine microdialysis to investigate methanol-induced alterations in uteroplacental blood flow

Methanol is teratogenic in rodents; it has been postulated that this teratogenicity may be mediated in part by conceptal hypoxia. To construct a model to predict conceptal risk following maternal methanol exposure, conceptal disposition of methanol must be determined and any effects of such exposure on blood flow must be quantitated. In the present study, these toxicokinetic and toxico-dynamic parameters were evaluated by in vivo intrauterine microdialysis. Microdialysis probes were inserted into the uteri of Gestational Day (gd) 20 rats; methanol was administered as either an iv bolus (100 or 500 mg/kg) or infusion (100 or 1000 mg/kg/hr). In separate experiments, methanol (100 or 500 mg/kg) and 3H2O (20 microCi/kg) were administered iv to gd 20 and 14 rats and gd 18 mice. In both experiments, maternal blood and uterine microdialysate were collected and analyzed for methanol or 3H2O content. The methanol concentration-time data were consistent with saturable maternal elimination and apparent first-order transfer between maternal and conceptal compartments; at distribution equilibrium, conceptal methanol concentrations exceeded those in the dam by approximately 25%. The initial rate of conceptal permeation of methanol was proportional to the reciprocal of maternal blood methanol concentration (r2 = 0.910). Methanol also reduced significantly the rate of 3H2O uptake into the conceptus in a concentration-dependent fashion in gd 14 and 20 rats and gd 18 mice. These data indicate that methanol may decrease uteroplacental blood flow, decreasing methanol presentation to the conceptus and possibly producing conceptal hypoxia.
Differences in the cytoplasmic distribution of newly synthesized poly (A) in serum-stimulated and resting cultures of BALB/c 3T3 cells.

Abstract Density-inhibited, serum-stimulated, and SV40 virus-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cultures were compared with respect to the rates of accumulation of cytoplasmic RNA molecules and with respect to the distribution of newly synthesized messenger RNA (mRNA) between polyribosomes and the post-ribosomal cell fraction. mRNA was isolated and quantitated by virtue of its association with radioactive polyadenylate (poly(A))-synthesized during a 90 min exposure of the cultures to 3H-adenosine. The rate of accumulation of cytoplasmic poly(A) rose slowly after serum stimulation and reached a value of 1.8 times that of resting cultures at 12 h after serum stimulation, which was also the time of onset of DNA synthesis. A change in the cytoplasmic distribution of newly synthesized poly(A) occurred more rapidly than the change in the rate of its synthesis, however. Resting cultures contained 37% of newly synthesized cytoplasmic poly(A)-containing RNA large enough to be mRNA in the post-ribosomal cell fraction, whereas virtually all of this material was found in polyribosomes at 3, 6 and 12 h after stimulation and in transformed cultures. The relatively infrequently translated mRNA of resting cultures was shown to be functional by cycloheximide treatment. (All BALB/c 3T3 cultures, resting or stimulated, contained about 20% of newly synthesized cytoplasmic poly(A) as nearly pure poly(A) in molecules of 4–6 Svedbergs in size, presumably too small to be mRNA.) We conclude that serum stimulation of density-inhibited cultures resulted in a more efficient use of the protein-synthesizing ability of the cell, and that the change in efficiency preceded increases in numbers of ribosomes and mRNA molecules.
Microsomal activation of estrogens and binding to nucleic acids and proteins.

Natural and synthetic estrogens can be activated by rat liver microsomes to bind covalently to polyguanylic acid, single-stranded DNA, nucleotides and proteins. Incubation of polyG, estrone and liver microsomes (0.5 nmole cytochrome P-448 or P-450) from 3-methylcholanthrene-induced, phenobarbital-induced or control rats showed that the former microsomes gave better net binding of estrogens to polyG than the other two. Estradiol incubated with 3MC-induced microsomes did bind to DNA but marginally to polyG. Mestranol and estrone sulfate, both constituents of oral contraceptive formulations, bound to polyG whereas progesterone and cholesterol did not bind. We present also preliminary data on the characterization of estrogen-nucleic acid interactions using nucleases, proteinase K and high-pressure liquid chromatography.
Characterization of a rat model of incisional pain

In this study, we developed a rat model of incisional pain. A 1-cm longitudinal incision was made through skin, fascia and muscle of the plantar aspect of the hindpaw in halothane-anesthetized rats. Withdrawal responses were measured using von Frey filaments at different areas around the wound before surgery and for the next 6 days. A cumulative pain score based on the weight bearing behavior of the animals was also utilized. The results of tests for withdrawal responses and scores based on weight bearing suggest that a surgical incision of the rat foot causes a reliable and quantifiable mechanical hyperalgesia lasting for several days after surgery. An incision that only included skin and fascia but not muscle in the foot caused less severe hyperalgesia during the initial postoperative period. Distinct areas around the wound had different withdrawal thresholds during the study period. Even remote sites as much as 10 mm from the wound showed persistent mechanical hyperalgesia. Selective denervations of the rat hindpaw prior to foot incision revealed both the sural and tibial nerves were responsible for transmitting input from the incision that produces hyperalgesia. This model should allow us to understand mechanisms of sensitization caused by surgery and investigate new therapies for postoperative pain in humans.
Long time existence of solutions for ∂2∂T2u(x,t) + ∂∂Tα(u(x,t)) = ∂2∂X2β(u(x,t))☆

For a class of initial-value problems associated with the nonlinear wave equation of the title, we establish, under relatively mild conditions on the functions α(·) and β(·), the following result on almost global existence, in time, of a classical solution: if t∞, the maximal time of existence of a C1 solution, is finite for arbitrarily small initial data, then for all initial data that are sufficiently small, t∞ is bounded from below by a function of the initial data which increases without bound as the magnitude of the initial data goes to zero.
Langsamer Protonentransfer in einem Hydroxo(oxo)rhenium‐Komplex

On observe des variations de structure et de liaison lors du transfert de proton entre 2 atomes O du complexe oxohydroxo de Re avec un coordinat acetylenique. L'atteinte de l'equilibre a une periode de 11 h
Title I funded preschools as a developmental context for children's play and verbal behaviors.

Abstract This study examined changes across the school year in the play and verbal behavior during center based activities of 283 children in 22 public school preschool classrooms, funded through Title I. Using a time sampling method, observations of children in classroom settings were conducted twice during the preschool year. Repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance revealed that: (1) children were involved most in parallel play activities, and the amount of parallel play increased across the year; and (2) associative and cooperative play decreased. This pattern of behavioral change was present in 15 of the 22 classrooms. Conditional probability analyses indicated that associative play was an important context for verbalizations directed to both teachers and peers. At the time of each observation children played and talked with their peers most. We obtained one interaction effect between gender and time—the amount of talk from girls to teachers increased over the school year, whereas boys talked less to teachers over time. Classrooms were staffed by a certified teacher and an assistant and uniformly rated quite high on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale. This research demonstrates that public school preschools are funded and staffed appropriately, but that more attention could be paid to facilitating play and verbal interactions that might be important for later school success.
Medical travel facilitators: connecting patients and providers in a globalized world.

International medical travel is a rapidly developing phenomenon that promises patients cheap and affordable medical care abroad. However, the logistics of making travel arrangements, selecting a medical provider, and evaluating quality can be a daunting task for even the most experienced traveler. At the nexus, connecting patients and providers are medical travel facilitators (MTFs), who are individuals and companies that market foreign medical care to patients. While the services that MTFs offer vary, they primarily focus on making foreign medical care more accessible to patients through commodifying the medical experience and providing logistical support. Although they are an important part of international medical travel they are often overlooked, especially along the US/Mexico border. This paper contributes to the discussion on medical travel by focusing on MTFs and the methods they employ through (1) discussing the characteristics and logistical challenges of medical travel; (2) identifying the diffe...
Observations of eruptive plume dynamics and pyroclastic deposits from submarine explosive eruptions at NW Rota-1, Mariana arc

Abstract Observations at the submarine volcano NW Rota-1, Mariana arc, have provided a unique opportunity to study basaltic explosive eruptions at ~ 550 m below sea level. In particular, during one week of observations in 2006, the active vent evolved from a region of diffuse gas venting and slow lava effusion to a focused vent that emitted a nearly continuous stream of gas with entrained juvenile pyroclasts. The eruptions were small, strombolian bursts that ejected bomb-sized pyroclasts meters above the vent and produced buoyant plumes that rose tens of meters above the vent and contained variable amounts of ash. Sampled pyroclasts are dominantly coarse ash and lapilli with fluidal textures that provide evidence of magmatic fragmentation. However, the blocky morphologies of some clasts, combined with visual evidence of secondary fragmentation, suggest that quench granulation due to rapid cooling was also important in pyroclast formation. Rapid cooling is also suggested by the slow rise of buoyant plumes (which indicates a low heat content and small density contrast with surrounding seawater). Rapid plume deceleration in seawater limited deposition of coarse ash, lapilli, and bombs to within a few meters of the vent, and allowed recycling of ≤~15% of the ejected clasts. Petrologic evidence for pyroclast recycling is provided by numerous microcrystalline inclusions incorporated within microlite-poor matrix glass. The matrix glass within these inclusions is strongly enriched in chlorine (
An adaptive strategy for load sharing in distributed database environments with information lags

In this paper we examine a strategy that addresses the effect of information lags on load sharing in a distributed database system. Because dynamic state information is not immediately available to the various sites, decisions that are naively made on the basis of currently available information will be nonoptimal. In this environment sites must decide whether to select alternative sites to process incoming transactions, given that the information on which the decision is based exhibits varying degrees of obsolescence. We present an adaptive strategy that (1) explicitly takes the obsolescence into account when making routing decisions and (2) weights older information less heavily than more up-to-date information. The performance of this strategy is studied in a distributed database environment exhibiting both different degrees of site-to-site obsolescence and differing degrees of database load at each site. The Adaptive strategy is found to be able to properly weight the impact of load distribution, transaction site affinity, and information lags in order to make a judicious load sharing decision. Transaction response time is compared with that achieved by a dynamic routing strategy that ignores the issue of information lags and with the response time achieved by two static routing algorithms.
Maintenance of telomeres in SV40‐transformed pre‐immortal and immortal human fibroblasts

Shortening of telomeres has been hypothesized to contribute to cellular senescence and may play a role in carcinogenesis of human cells. Furthermore, activation of telomerase has frequently been demonstrated in tumor-derived and in vitro immortalized cells. In this study, we have assessed these phenomena during the life span of simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed preimmortal and immortal human fibroblasts. We observed progressive reduction in telomere length in preimmortal transformed cells with extended proliferative capacity, with the most dramatic shortening at late passage. Telomere lengths became stabilized (or increased) in immortal fibroblasts accompanied, in one case, by the activation of telomerase. However, an independent immortal cell line that displayed stable telomeres did not have detectable telomerase activity. Furthermore, we found significant telomerase activity in two preimmortal derivatives. Our results provide further evidence for maintenance of telomeres in immortalized human fibroblasts, but they suggest a lack of causal relationship between telomerase activation and immortalization.
Titania Coatings on Monodisperse Silica Spheres (Characterization Using 2-Propanol Dehydration and TEM)

Titania coatings ranging from sub-monolayer to ≈7 nm thick have been deposited on silica by hydrolysis of titanium alkoxide precursors. Nonporous model silica particles of spherical shape were used as the support for titania. The ratio of titanium alkoxide to water and the dilution of the reactant mixture in ethanol control the nature of the coating. If the alkoxide concentration is too high, precipitation of second-phase titania particles occurs rather than a uniform coating. On the other hand, higher water concentrations led to aggregated spheres being connected with titania necks. Isolated silica spheres with uniform coatings of titania are obtained when the alkoxide concentration is kept low. The samples were studied using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. 2-Propanol dehydration was used as a probe reaction, since it was found that reactivity for propene formation is directly correlated with anatase surface area. Using this correlation, the effective titania surface area of each sample co...
Who's Learning What Words and How Fast: Preschoolers' Vocabulary Growth in an Early Literacy Program

Abstract This study examined the composition of vocabulary and preschoolers' vocabulary learning in an early literacy program. Fifty-six children with typical achievement, with special needs, and at risk for disabilities participated. Curriculum-based measures (CBM) were used to track children's receptive and expressive vocabulary growth over three curriculum units. Root and rare word compositional analyses described the vocabulary to be learned. Children's performance across units and by word type were compared. Results showed that the preschoolers gained vocabulary and that CBM was sensitive in measuring progress; the rate varied between groups, however, with typically achieving children making significant gains over time. Composition of vocabulary appeared more infuential on children's expressive rather than receptive vocabularies, with less growth by groups to recall rare words than root or basic words. Results suggest greater attention to the composition of vocabulary in early literacy programs and t...
An Examination of the Local Economic Impacts of Military Base Closures

The 1988 Base Closure and Realignment Act empowered the Commission on Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) to undertake five rounds of significant military base closure and realignment. Investigating the economic impacts associated with base closures provides the first step in not only determining whether the BRAC Commission has effectively minimized negative impacts on affected communities but also provides guidance to policy makers in targeting future base closures, and helps affected communities prepare for the economic shocks associated with these events. This article examines (a) the local economic impacts associated with general changes in military base employment; (b) if the first four, completed rounds of BRAC closures have a significant differential impact on county-level employment; (c) whether these BRAC closures exhibit economic spillover effects on the employment of neighboring counties; and (d) if the economic impact associated with BRAC losses differs for enlisted and civilian personnel redu...
Microhabitat use by blackbanded (Percina nigrofasciata), turquoise (Etheostoma inscriptum), and tessellated (E. olmstedi) darters during drought in a Georgia piedmont stream

We used underwater observations to quantify microhabitat use for blackbanded,Percina nigrofaciata, turquoise, Etheostoma inscriptum, and tessellated, E. olmsteadi, darters in a 116 m reach of a Piedmont stream during 2001-2002. The sampling period and the previous 12 months were the first and second driest years on record, respectively. Spring 2002 had the greatest amount of available habitat, and principal component analysis indicated that only one of three species pairs displayed significant differences in microhabitat use during this season. Conversely, in fall 2001 (intermediate microhabitat availability), all three species used significantly different microhabitats. In general, turquoise darters used areas with greater amounts of erosional substrata, tessellated darters occurred over more depositional substrata, and black- banded darters utilized intermediate microhabitats. During fall 2001, large blackbanded darters (≥55 mm SL) occupied faster microhabitats with more erosional substrata, and used a greater variety of depths than smaller conspecifics (40-55 mm). In fall 2001, large turquoise darters (≥40 mm) used deeper microhabitats with higher velocities and more erosional substrata than smaller individuals, whereas the opposite was true (≤50 mm in faster, more erosional, than >50 mm) in fall 2002. In general, darters did not occur in micro- habitats with significantly higher invertebrate abundan- ces, however both blackbanded and tessellated darters occupied microhabitats with higher percentages of Diptera in a single season. The inconsistent responses of darters to microhabitat prey abundance may have been influenced by extreme drought conditions.
Models and Measures of Beginning Teacher Quality

Teacher quality is widely recognized as influencing student achievement and success in school. In this article, we consider various approaches to the assessment of teacher quality, including process‐product observational measures, evaluation checklists, professional standards, large-scale surveys, and commercially available observation systems. We present examples of each from the special education literature, consider teacher education research genres for which each is appropriate, and evaluate each using a set of criteria that incorporates both practical and technical considerations. We advocate for multimethod approaches to teacher quality research and for more research relating what teachers know and do to what students learn, and we note that a stronger link between teachers and learners would allow for more rigorous evaluations of teacher preparation.
Regulatory volume decrease stimulates bile flow, bile acid excretion, and exocytosis in isolated perfused rat liver.

To study the effect of volume regulation on bile secretory function, isolated perfused rat livers (IPRL) were exposed to hypotonic stress (45 mM NaCl) while bile flow and the biliary excretion of bile acids and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were assessed. Hypotonic stress induced a biphasic increase in bile flow, which rose in the first minute from 1.1 +/- 0.2 to 1.7 +/- 0.1 microliter.min-1.g liver-1 (P less than 0.01), an effect attributed to rapid osmotic equilibration of water, then increased further between 3 and 5 min to 1.6 +/- 0.1 microliter.min-1.g liver-1 (P less than 0.01, followed by a subsequent return to baseline. HRP excretion in bile increased during the second peak of bile flow from 0.9 +/- 0.2 to 1.1 +/- 0.2 ng.min-1.g liver-1, P less than 0.01. Pretreatment with colchicine but not lumicolchicine completely abolished the latter increase in bile flow and HRP excretion as did BaCl2 (1 mM), an inhibitor of both K+ channels and regulatory volume decrease (RVD) in hepatocytes. When sodium taurocholate was infused (1 mumol/min), hypotonic stress induced an even larger increase in the second peak of bile flow (5.1 +/- 0.7 microliters/g liver, P less than 0.01) and higher rates of bile acid excretion than in control perfusions with bile acid (126.2 +/- 21.0 vs. 99.0 +/- 17.1 nmol.min-1.g liver-1, P less than 0.05). These data suggest that both bile flow and bile acid excretion are stimulated during RVD by mechanisms that involve both K+ channels and microtubule-dependent exocytosis at the canalicular (apical) membrane domain.
Direct measurement of pump intensity distributions in an optically pumped vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

In conclusion, we have demonstrated the direct mapping of the internal pump intensity distribution of an optically pumped AlGaAs QW VCSEL laser structure. The technique is made possible by the combination of distributed quantum wells through the mirror stacks and near-field scanning optical microscopy. This technique is a valuable tool for directly evaluating the spatial distribution of the pump field as a function of wavelength. These results will be extended in future work to optimise devices which tailor the thickness of the mirror layers to achieve a desired spectral and spatial function of pump field overlap with the active region.
Thermal modeling applications to forest canopies

A critical component in our understanding of the physical climate system and biogeochemical cycles lies in knowledge of the thermal environment since all processes of interest are thermally mediated. Extending existing thermal models to account for thermal radiance transfers within and external to a rough forest canopy-soil system for a range of spatial/temporal scales is a significant factor in providing improved capabilities for better understanding of the current state of forest ecosystems and form the basis for interpretation and utilization of remote sensing thermal imagery. An enhanced model is described and tested by application to a spruce-fir study site. >
Method of ultrafast beam rotation for single-shot, time-resolved measurements

Ultrafast optical beam rotation is proposed for single-shot, time-resolved measurements. A pump-probe configuration is considered using a diffraction grating and focusing optics to create angular encoding of the time delay between the pump and probe pulses. The characteristic time t(ap) of the grating-lens system is derived as a function of dispersion, NA, and time window T. An analytical equation for time resolution is obtained that incorporates t(ap)laser pulse width, and beam crossing, enabling optimum selection of optical components. For commercial standard gratings with width W≤50 mm, laser λ=800 nm, and NA=.05, a 160 ps time window can be achieved, and t(ap)=23 fs for T=1 ps.
lin-35/Rb Cooperates With the SWI/SNF Complex to Control Caenorhabditis elegans Larval Development

Null mutations in lin-35, the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of the mammalian Rb protein, cause no obvious morphological defects. Using a genetic approach to identify genes that may function redundantly with lin-35, we have isolated a mutation in the C. elegans psa-1 gene. lin-35; psa-1 double mutants display severe developmental defects leading to early larval arrest and adult sterility. The psa-1 gene has previously been shown to encode a C. elegans homolog of yeast SWI3, a critical component of the SWI/SNF complex, and has been shown to regulate asymmetric cell divisions during C. elegans development. We observed strong genetic interactions between psa-1 and lin-35 as well as a subset of the class B synMuv genes that include lin-37 and lin-9. Loss-of-function mutations in lin-35, lin-37, and lin-9 strongly enhanced the defects of asymmetric T cell division associated with a psa-1 mutation. Our results suggest that LIN-35/Rb and a certain class B synMuv proteins collaborate with the SWI/SNF protein complex to regulate the T cell division as well as other events essential for larval growth.
Re-accumulation of lycopene in late season, re-greening ‘Redblush’ grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.)

Abstract Lycopene lost from ‘Redblush’ grapefruit during winter months re-accumulates along with chlorophyll when harvesting is delayed into late spring. By mid-June, fruit contained 18% more lycopene in the pulp and 72% more lycopene in the peel than similar fruit harvested in December, and 63% more lycopene in the pulp and 840% more lycopene in the peel than similar fruit harvested in March.
Unsupervised domain adaptation with multiple acoustic models

We investigate the problem of adapting a recognition system with multiple acoustic models to a new domain in unsupervised mode. We compare maximum likelihood and discriminative approaches for unsupervised domain adaptation. Different adaptation data selection methods and adaptation strategies are investigated, using a baseline meeting recognition system and adaptation data from a congressional committee web site. Experiments show that one should avoid adapting all acoustic models to the same recognition output, and that ASR confidence estimates improve results when used for rejecting low-quality ASR output. The results show 8% relative overall improvement from unsupervised adaptation.
Visual inter-word relations and their use in OCR postprocessing

A technique is presented that uses visual relationships between word images in a document to improve the recognition of the text it contains. This technique takes advantage of the visual relationships between word images that are usually lost in most conventional optical character recognition (OCR) techniques. The visual relations are defined to be the equivalence that exists between images of the same word or portions of word images. An algorithm is presented that calculates these relationships in a document. The resulting clusters are integrated with the recognition results provided by an OCR system. Inconsistencies in OCR results between equivalent images are identified and used to improve recognition performance. Experimental results are presented in which the input is provided directly from a commercial OCR system.
A Rapid Colorimetric Assay of Fungal Viability with the Tetrazolium Salt MTT

A rapid colorimetric assay for viability of fungi that uses the tetrazolium salt MTT is described. All live species of a wide range of medically important fungi that were tested reduced MTT, with resultant intracellular formation within several hours of clearly visible purple crystals of MTT-formazan. The assay proved particularly useful in measuring viability of individual hyphae; >99%/ of live Aspergillusfumigatus and Rhizopus oryzae hyphae stained purple when incubated with MTT compared with 0% of hyphae killed by any of a variety of methods. The MTT method for measuring fungal viability closely correlated with a slide-culture technique when killing of A. fumigatus hyphae by graded concentrations of hydrogen peroxide was compared. MTT-formazan was easily extracted from the fungi by alcohol, a procedure allowing spectrophotometric quantification of fungal killing in both cell-free and cellular systems. A linear relation between inocula and MTT reduction of several fungi, including Candida albicans blastospores and A. fumigatus hyphae, was demonstrated. Human leukocytes killed 80.3% of C. albicans blastospores as measured by the MTT assay, compared with 70.5%/ as measured by dilutions and pour plates. Killing of A. fumigatus hyphae by human leukocytes was also quantitated by using the MTT assay.
A new low-delay matching algorithm for input-queued switches

This paper presents a randomized algorithm, called degree-sequenced matching (DSM), for scheduling packets in an input-queued switch. Previously known high-throughput, randomized algorithms implicitly prioritize the matching of ports with larger degrees and causes longer delays at the low-degree ports. Our algorithm, however, achieves a lower average delay but without compromising the throughput. The DSM algorithm sorts nodes based on their node-degrees and begin each iteration of the algorithm by matching the lowest degree nodes. Using real gateway traffic traces as well as synthetically generated traffic, we present simulation results showing that DSM achieves a low average delay, while still achieving near maximum throughput.
Intravenous pamidronate treatment of infants with severe osteogenesis imperfecta

Objective: Children with the severe forms of osteogenesis imperfecta have in several studies been treated with intravenous pamidronate, but there are only few reports of the effect of early treatment. Aim: To evaluate the effect of treatment started in infancy. Methods: In a prospective observational study, with a historic control group, intravenous disodium pamidronate (APD) was given as monthly infusions to 11 children with osteogenesis imperfecta aged 3–13 (median 3.6) months, who had severe osteogenesis imperfecta with congenital bowing of the femora and vertebral compression fractures. Results: During treatment of children aged between 3 and 6 (median 4.5) years, dual-energy x ray absorptiometry measurements of the lumbar spine showed a gradual increase in bone density. Bone metabolism parameters in serum (alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, procollagen 1 carboxy-terminal peptide, collagen 1 teleopeptide) and in urine (deoxypyridinoline) indicated a decrease in bone turnover. An improvement of mobility was seen and at the latest recording, at the age of 3.3–6.5 (median 4.8) years, the children could all walk. Vertebral remodelling was seen, with increased vertebral height, and no child developed scoliosis, kyphosis or basilar impression. All children required femoral intramedullar rods for fractures, and five needed tibial rodding for extreme curvatures that prevented functional standing and walking. No adverse effects were seen on growth, fracture healing or blood chemistry. Conclusions: APD is an efficient symptomatic treatment for infants with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, but additional orthopaedic surgery is often needed. Early treatment may prevent scoliosis and basilar impression. Long-term follow-up is important.
Towards a Theory of Vivid Description as Practiced in Cicero's Verrine Oration

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from ‘Caliber’ (http://caliber.ucpress.net/) or ‘AnthroSource’ (http://www.aaanet.org/publications/anthrosource/).
Remarks on Anti-RFI Fences

In anti-RFI applications such as shielding two radars from one another, the protection obtained from a fence may be significantly less than the diffraction loss introduced by the fence. The effect can be alleviated by using an inner and an outer fence. This tandem design is also advantageous for anticlutter fences, because a given diffraction loss can be obtained with smaller and less costly structures. If the diffraction loss is to be augmented by an edge treatment, the tandem design makes possible the equivalent of stagger tuning.