cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of poly(vinyl alcohol) on fiber cement interfaces. Part II: Microstructures

Abstract Changes in the microstructure of hydrated cement paste around steel, brass, brass-coated steel, and polypropylene fibers induced by the addition of 1.4% poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) have been examined by scanning electron microscopy. The microstructures were examined both after the fibers had been carefully peeled from the matrix and after the fibers had been pulled from the matrix along their axes. The previously noted enhancement by PVA of the pull-out properties from ordinary Portland cement matrix of steel fibers is attributed to the formation of a ductile, fine-grained interfacial layer. The formation of this microstructure is suggusted to arise from the effect of PVA on the nucleation of CH and CSH at the fiber surface and on the presence of polymer around the fibers. The enhancement of the pull-out properties for brass and brass-coated steel fibers is attributed to the formation of a strong bond between the fiber and matrix that diverts failure to the porous zone surrounding the fiber. Interfacial structures against low surface energy fibers, like poly-propylene, showed minimal effect from the polymer.
Genetic evidence for a fourth terminal oxidase in Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Abstract Bradyrhizobium japonicum , a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium, has a complex respiratory electron-transport chain, capable of functioning throughout a wide range of oxygen tensions. It does so by synthesizing a number of terminal oxidases, each appropriate for different environmental conditions. Several genes encoding terminal oxidases from B. japonicum have been cloned, but it is unknown what roles these individual oxidases play. In this paper, we describe the cloning and sequencing of the coxX gene encoding the large catalytic subunit for a fourth terminal oxidase from B. japonicum . The coxX gene encodes a 666-amino-acid (aa) protein ( M r 74527) that exhibits a high degree of homology to terminal oxidase proteins from a number of prokaryotic and eukaryotic species. This new oxidase exhibits greater homology to the Escherichia coli cytochrome o subunit I than any of the previously reported B. japonicum terminal oxidase genes.
Residential computing consultants: help center after hours and onsite

Student outreach revealed that Carnegie Mellon students living on campus wanted after-hours computing support and on-site service for their computers. How can a help center open only during business hours fulfill these expectations without a significant increase in cost or drop in quality of service? At Carnegie Mellon, the solution was the Residential Computing Consultants (RCC) program, a no-fee service available to all students living in on-campus housing. The RCCs are four students who work in teams of two consultants per shift, Monday-Thursday evenings 6-9pm. RCCs answer requests made through email, phone, voicemail, and AIM; in-room appointments are available on request. The RCC program resulted from a two year pilot, in which a variety of contact methods, locations, and staffing levels were tested and evaluated to meet these requirements. This poster presentation provides an overview of the RCC program and discusses the advantages and pitfalls of the service models used during the pilot program.
Isolation and characterization of caliciviruses from dogs with vesicular genital disease

Two virus isolates, one from lesions of the vagina of a Bearded Collie and the other from the penis and prepuce of a Black Labrador, were partially characterized. The two viruses possessed the physicochemical properties, size and morphology of viruses belonging to the family Caliciviridae. The two isolates were shown by cross neutralization tests to be distinct from previously reported canine and feline caliciviruses. The viruses, isolated four years apart, are antigenically related. Additional studies are necessary to determine whether they are two distinct viruses or strains of another serotype belonging to the caliciviruses of the canine species.
Measurement of Gamma Ray Induced Secondary Electron Current from Various Elements

Knowledge of the angular distribution and absolute efficiency for gamma ray induced secondary electron currents is necessary in the development of fast radiation detectors, in dosimetry and in transient radiation effects studies. The angular distribution of the emergent forward electron current and the absolute quantum efficiency for 1.25 MeV gamma ray induced secondary electron current has been measured for elements having atomic number 6, 13, 29, 48, and 82. To ensure electron equilibrium, targets of thickness about equal to the extrapolated range of a 1.25-MeV photoelectron were used. The non-equilibrium thickness of one-tenth the extrapolated range was also used. A significant difference between the total target current and the total forward current was observed. This difference increased with atomic number and target thickness, as would be expected from results of electron backscattering experiments. Forward currents, calculated as a function of atomic number and target thickness, using Mar' s universal electron transmission formula and taking into account both Compton and photoelectric effects, agree well with experimental results.
Pakistan 2010 floods: policy gaps in disaster preparedness and response

The 2010 floods have caused widespread devastation of farmland, livestock, infrastructure, businesses, homes, and impacted 18 million people. The majority of these people were already living in abject poverty; some illegally residing in the floodplains of the river Indus. During the floods, households were stripped of their entire means of livelihood and their dignity. The government and the international community provided short-term relief responses and interventions to restore livelihoods. Based on interviews conducted with key Punjab government officials and lessons drawn from experiences of flood prevention, disaster recovery and rehabilitation, policy responses for recovery and reconstruction have been recommended that can be translated into long-term sustainable development goals. This study reveals several institutional gaps and regulatory weaknesses that prevail in disaster preparedness and response. In order to reduce vulnerability to extreme climate shocks, the government needs to enact legislation that regulates floodplains, introduce productivity enhancing safety nets, seed systems interventions, public works programs for creating employment opportunities, cash transfers, livestock protection, institutional reforms and adopt effective flood prevention policies. More important, the government needs to make disaster response and preparedness a national priority.
R&D, Advertising and the Market Value of Internet Firms: Part I

ABSTRACT This article is the first part of the study that attempts to explain the valuation of Internet firms during the dot.com “bubble” period from 1996 to 2000. One section of the article is dedicated to detailed literature review on valuation of firms, particularly firms with a high proportion of intangible assets. Another section presents a theoretical foundation for valuation on Internet firms based on the investment opportunities approach to valuation of growth shares. Finally, the last section presents testable hypotheses regarding the relationships between market values of Internet firms and several independent variables.
Lecture on Progress toward Petascale Applications in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Over the past several years there have been repeated analyses of the potential value of petascale bioinformatics and computational biology applications, as well as analyses of the system engineering steps required to implement applications and systems at such scale. Most recently and notably, Snavely et al. published the "Workshop Report: Petascale applications in biological sciences". By one measure the era of petascale computing in biology began in 2006 with the successful clocking of the Riken Institute Protein Explorer system at 1.0 PetaFLOPS. Still, the state of the art of current applications in bioinformatics and computational biology is generally yet orders of magnitude away from petascale, especially in terms of actual performance. The purpose of this is lecture is to survey the current state of the art in computational biology and bioinformatics at scale. Suggested topics for papers and posters include, but are not limited to, the following specific subjects: What is the current upper limit of scale of applications in bioinformatics and computational biology? What are the factors limiting scalability of these applications? Can we, as recommended by Snavely et al., identify candidate petascale applications in any of the following areas: biomolecular structure modeling, modeling complex biological systems, genomics, customized patient care, ecological components of earth systems modeling, infections disease modeling, or other areas? What are the best ways to measure performance scalability of bioinformatics and computational biology applications? Can we measure what really counts in terms of next generation bioinformatics applications with FLOPS and bytes? The NSF workshop organized by Snavely, Jacobs, and Bader identified several specific applications as candidates for scaling. The resulting report called for attention to progress in scaling applications by identifying problems, resolving those problems, and trying to anticipate problems at a larger scales and making the step to larger scales. Presentations that discuss the steps, challenges, and solutions to incremental scaling of bioinformatics and computational biology applications are particularly encouraged. Practice and experience papers related to this topic will be of particular value to the scientific community as we strive toward petascale applications.
The Changing Ophthalmic Marketplace

Actually I have three parts to my presentation this morning. I'm going to focus on the ophthalmic marketplace, spend most of the time there. I am also going to walk you through last fall's Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, introduce you to some of what I thought were interesting lasers that were on the floor at that meeting, and then I'm going to bring you up to date on a company that Arthur D. Little has a little bit of an interest in. It is a company called Intrasonics, which is involved in ultrasonic catheters for the angioplasty market; even though that has nothing to do with ophthalmics, because I am part of Arthur D. Little I thought I would just like to tell you a little bit about what Intrasonics is up to and what they are doing.
Phase-Resolved Fluorescence Spectral Fingerprinting of Petrolatums:

The first application of multifrequency phase-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (PRFS) to the characterization of a complex, multicomponent system is described. The incorporation of lifetime selectivity significantly enhances the ability to discriminate between different petrolatum samples, relative to conventional, steady-state fluorescence techniques. Chemometric data analysis strategies are used to reduce noise contributions and to compare the dynamic spectral features of the petrolatums.
Modeling kinetic plasma instabilities using a conservative continuum model

Summary form only given. Boltzmann kinetic plasma models encapsulate a complete physical description of a plasma through a statistical representation. Continuum Boltzmann kinetic models, in particular, present a viable alternative to particle-in-cell (PIC) models because they can be cast in conservation form and they are not susceptible to noise. By treating the associated phase space distribution function as a continuous incompressible fluid occupying a volume of position-velocity space, evolution of the distribution function is determined by solving a 6-D advection equation. In cases where collision terms are negligible, the Boltzmann model is reduced to a Vlasov model. A 4th-order accurate continuum kinetic Vlasov model has been developed to address the challenges associated with solving a 6-D hyperbolic governing equation. The governing equation is cast in conservation law form and solved with a finite volume representation. Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is used to allow for efficient use of computational resources while maintaining desired levels of resolution. Consequently, with AMR the model is able to capture filamentation, or the fine structures that develop in the distribution function as it evolves in time. The model is tested on several plasma instability problems including: the two-stream instability, the beam-plasma instability, and the Dory-Guest-Harris instability. The model results as well as run time performance are compared with particle-in-cell simulations.
Probabilistic Approach to the Solution of Inverse Problems in Civil Engineering

A wide range of important problems in civil engineering can be classified as inverse problems. In such problems, the observational data regarding the performance of a system is known, and the characteristics of the system and/or the input are sought. There are two general approaches to the solution of inverse problems: deterministic and probabilistic. Traditionally, inverse problems in civil engineering have been solved using a deterministic approach. In this approach, the objective is to find a specific model of a system that its theoretical response best fits the observed data. Obtaining the best fit solution, however, does not provide any information regarding the effect of data and/or theoretical uncertainties on the obtained solution. In this paper, a general probabilistic approach to the solution of the inverse problems is introduced, which provides uncertainty measures for the obtained solution. Techniques for direct analytical evaluation and numerical approximation of the probabilistic solution using Monte Carlo Markov Chains, with and without neighborhood algorithm approximation, are introduced and explained. The presented concepts and techniques and their application are then illustrated in practical terms using a simple example of a modulus determination experiment.
Pentobarbital and dextroamphetamine sulfate: Effects on the sleep cycle in man

Twenty Ss received, double blind, either a 15-mg dextroamphetamine sulfate (DA) spansule and pentobarbital (PB) 100 mg p.o. before bed on two nights or PB and a placebo (PL) on two other nights, all a week apart, in a balanced design. Fifteen of the Ss received DA and PB placebos on two additional nights. EEG and EOG recordings were obtained over a six-hour observation period on all nights.
A Framework for Developing Management Goals for Species at Risk with Examples from Military Installations in the United States

A decision framework for setting management goals for species at risk is presented. Species at risk are those whose potential future rarity is of concern. Listing these species as threatened or endangered could potentially result in significant restrictions to activities in resource management areas in order to maintain those species. The decision framework, designed to foster proactive management, has nine steps: identify species at risk on and near the management area, describe available information and potential information gaps for each species, determine the potential distribution of species and their habitat, select metrics for describing species status, assess the status of local population or metapopulation, conduct threat assessment, set and prioritize management goals, develop species management plans, and develop criteria for ending special species management where possible. This framework will aid resource managers in setting management goals that minimally impact human activities while reducing the likelihood that species at risk will become rare in the near future. The management areas in many of the examples are United States (US) military installations, which are concerned about potential restrictions to military training capacity if species at risk become regulated under the US Endangered Species Act. The benefits of the proactive management set forth in this formal decision framework are that it is impartial, provides a clear procedure, calls for identification of causal relationships that may not be obvious, provides a way to target the most urgent needs, reduces costs, enhances public confidence, and, most importantly, decreases the chance of species becoming more rare.
In Defense of Homelessness

‘‘Avoiding officially sanctioned shelters at all costs, the homeless take refuge almost anywhere else—in alleys, parks, tunnels, and abandoned buildings, under bridges, and so on. The police have to roust them from these areas regularly, because if the homeless become comfortable anywhere, what motive have they to stop being homeless? The trouble is, for some strange reason, it doesn’t work worth a damn.’’ —Daniel Quinn
The inducible arginine decarboxylase of Escherichia coli B: Activity of the dimer and the decamer☆

Abstract The catalytic activity of the two stable aggregation states of arginine decarboxylase, a dimer and a decamer, has been examined under a variety of conditions. The specific activity of the dimer was determined at pH 5.2, the optimum pH, over a very broad range of protein concentrations. It was found to be independent of concentration only above 5 μg/ml, and decreased to 0 at 0.02 μg/ml, suggesting that a concentration-dependent reassociation was occurring in the assay. At 0.58 μg/ml, the restoration of activity was time dependent. We conclude that, at pH 5.2, the decamer is active and the dimer is essentially inactive. The activities of the dimer and the decamer were also compared at neutral pH, by using increasing concentrations of either Na + , arginine, or protein to induce reassociation. All of these experiments are consistent with the idea that both species are equally active at this pH. Furthermore, the dependence of activity on arginine concentration is not hyperbolic at pH 7.2. The arginine decarboxylase dimer was modified by allowing one sulfhydryl group per monomer to react with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The modified dimer reassociates less readily than the native form, requiring higher concentrations of any of the three associating agents tried. The modified decamer, at both pH 5.2 and 7.4, and the modified dimer, at pH 7.4, retain approximately 60% of the activity of the untreated enzyme.
Improvement of Surface Roughness of Inner Hole for Grinding Machine Using Adaptive Fuzzy Sliding Mode Controller

In industry, grinding is commonly used as a finishing or semi-finishing operation. The surface roughness is a variable often used to describe the quality of the overall grinding system. However, the traverse and longitudinal waviness are produced by the random nature of the grinding process and by machine vibration in surface. This paper presents an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control (AFSMC) to improve surface roughness in inner hole machining using diamond grinding bar. The experimental results show that the AFSMC can reduce surface roughness (Ra).
Probing cosmic acceleration beyond the equation of state: Distinguishing between dark energy and modified gravity models

If general relativity is the correct theory of physics on large scales, then there is a differential equation that relates the Hubble expansion function, inferred from measurements of angular diameter distance and luminosity distance, to the growth rate of large scale structure. For a dark energy fluid without couplings or an unusual sound speed, deviations from this consistency relationship could be the signature of modified gravity on cosmological scales. We propose a procedure based on this consistency relation in order to distinguish between some dark energy models and modified gravity models. The procedure uses different combinations of cosmological observations and is able to find inconsistencies when present. As an example, we apply the procedure to a universe described by a recently proposed 5-dimensional modified gravity model. We show that this leads to an inconsistency within the dark energy parameter space detectable by future experiments.
Fabrication and characterization of double-diffused waveguides

An experimental study of two-step Ag+/Na+ ion exchange in BK-7 glass substrates in molten solutions consisting of AgNO3/NaNO3 mixtures is presented. This paper describes a method for evaluating the measured mode index spectra and the index profile of double-diffused semiburied waveguides. They are first diffused at 320°C in 2% melt and are then converted to semiburied waveguides by a second diffusion step consisting of a short-time reimmersion in a 0.25% melt.
The starvation-survival state of microorganisms in nature and its relationship to the bioavailable energy

Although one can measure the organic matter in various ecosystems in terms of organic carbon, this measurement does not indicate what portion of the organic carbon is bioavailable to the microorganisms. Most organic matter is recalcitrant and, therefore, most microorganisms do not have sufficient energy to carry on their metabolism for growth and reproduction. As a result, many species of bacteria will form ultramicrocells and enter a physiological state known as starvation-survival. This physiological state results in metabolic arrest which permits the organisms to survive for long periods of time without sufficient energy for growth and reproduction.
Identification of Proteinase 3 as the Major Caseinolytic Activity in Acute Human Wound Fluid

Wound fluid contains several proteinases that are important in the repair process. In this study, we analyzed caseinolytic activity in wound fluid obtained from acute (burn) wounds. Caseinolytic activity in wound fluid increased markedly 2 d after injury and appeared on casein zymographs as a series of bands or a smear ranging from 30 to 100 kDa. Most of the enzyme activity was inhibited by the synthetic human neutrophil elastase inhibitor MDL 27, 367 but not by the naturally occurring inhibitor of elastase, human secretory leukoproteinase inhibitor. Fractionation of wound fluid indicated that a single enzyme accounted for ≈ 80% of the caseinolytic activity. This enzyme degraded the elastase substrate methoxysuccinyl-ala-ala-pro-val-p-nitroanilide at a slow rate. The above findings suggested that the enzyme responsible for caseinolytic activity might be proteinase 3, an elastase-related enzyme whose physiologic functions are poorly understood. Consistent with the above possibility, we found that monoclonal antibodies against proteinase 3 removed caseinolytic activity from wound fluid, and that purified proteinase 3 had a similar caseinolytic profile and inhibitor sensitivity to burn fluid.
New onset delayed postpartum preeclampsia: different disorders?

Objective: Delayed postpartum preeclampsia is a poorly studied disorder. We compared new onset delayed postpartum preeclampsia (NOPP) to recurrent/persistent, delayed onset postpartum preeclampsia (RPP) to see whether these were different disorders. Methods: Delayed onset preeclampsia was defined as readmission >2 days to ≤6 weeks postpartum for preeclampsia. The NOPP group had no antecedent diagnosis of hypertensive disorders in the current pregnancy, and was compared to the RPP defined as a prior hypertensive disorder in the current pregnancy in terms of maternal demographics, obstetric and medical history, intrapartum and early postpartum course and clinical signs and symptoms and outcomes on postpartum readmission. Results: There were a total of 56 (36.8%) patients in the RPP and 96 (63.2%) patients in the NOPP groups. NOPP cases delivered significantly later 39.0 ± 2 weeks vs. 37 ± 3.0 weeks p < 0.001, and had significantly lower blood pressure during the antepartum, early postpartum and readmission ...
The consistency of a matching test

Abstract Let X ∗ 1 ⩽X ∗ 2 ⩽⋯⩽X ∗ n be the order statistics of a random sample from a distribution on [0, 1]. Let Ak, the kth match, be the event that X ∗ k ϵ( (k−1) n k n ], and let Sn be the total number of matches. The consistency of Sn for testing uniform df, U, against df G≠U is investigated, and it is shown that Sn is consistent if the intersection of G with U has Lebesgue measure zero. It is also consistent against a sequence of alternatives approaching U at a rate less faster than n -1 2 .
Changes in clot retraction time and platelet adhesiveness following whole body irradiation.

Conclusions1. There is an inhibition of platelet adhesiveness and a prolongation of clot retraction time following whole body radiation of the dog. These changes are demonstrable 3 days after radiation, prior to thrombocytopenia or prolongation of clotting time which is associated with hemorrhage. 2. Inhibition of clot retraction time can be reversed in vitro by addition of excesses of calcium. This suggests a defect in the radiated animal in the use of calcium in initiation of clot retraction. 3. There is a substance in the plasma of the radiated dog which acts on platelets to decrease platelet adhesiveness and inhibit clot retraction time. This factor is not demonstrable before 8th post radiation day and is most easily shown when the animal is thrombocytopenic.
Denning chronology of black bears in eastern Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

ABSTRACT. Understanding factors influencing the timing of den entrance and emergence of black bears (Ursus americanus) provides insight for bear management. We determined den entrance and emergence dates for bears in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and related these dates to vegetative productivity, weather, habitat, and demographic factors to assess the influence of these factors on denning chronology. Date of den entrance was most strongly influenced by age class, precipitation, and proportion of human-use areas in annual home ranges. Den entrance was typically later for adult bears during wetter years and when annual home ranges contained a greater proportion of human-use areas. Sex and presence of human-use areas were most strongly related to den emergence. Male bears typically emerged from dens before females, and bears emerged from dens earlier when human-use areas composed a greater proportion of annual home ranges. Collectively, our results suggest that denning behavior of black bears in RMNP ...
Whites have a more robust hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to a psychological stressor than blacks

Summary Objective Differences in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis response to stress may confer differences in susceptibility to a variety of diseases. We hypothesized that whites would differ from blacks in HPA axis response to a psychological stressor. Design Healthy subjects aged 18–30 were recruited from Baltimore, Maryland. At initial assessment, they completed psychometric tests measuring anxiety, mood, and personality. Subjects then participated in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), which consisted of 10 min of public speaking and mental arithmetic exercises. Subjective anxiety was measured immediately pre- and post-TSST. Race effects on cortisol, adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH), and prolactin responses to the TSST were analyzed by GEE longitudinal analysis methods. The analysis controlled for gender, baseline hormone levels, socioeconomic factors, anxiety, mood, and dimensions of personality. Results Ninety-eight subjects participated in the TSST. Whites had 36% greater relative mean cortisol response than blacks (95% CI: 10–67%, P =0.004). Whites had significantly higher mean ACTH compared to blacks at 25 min after the start of the TSST (35%, 95% CI: 16–58% greater, P Conclusions In sum, we found that whites have a more robust HPA axis response to the TSST compared with blacks, even after controlling for several socioeconomic and psychological factors. In contrast, we observed no difference in prolactin response. There were no differences in subjective response to the TSST to explain the difference in HPA axis response. Further study is indicated to explain this finding and to test whether it can be extrapolated to other forms of stress.
An Ultra-Narrow, High-Quality, High-Field Quadrupole Magnet

An ultra-narrow, high-quality quadrupole magnet has been designed for use in the Bevatron experimental area. Several magnets have been fabricated and tested. Pertinent dimensions are: aperture = 8.244", core width × height × length = 12" × 24" × 24", overall width × height × length = 13" × 41" × 32" (including adjustable stand, terminals and water manifolds but excluding supply and return piping). This corresponds to a width/aperture ratio of ~ 1.5 compared to previously reported "narrow" ratios of 2.5 to 3.0 and common ratios of 5 or more. This narrow magnet permits significant improvement in beam target utilization by permitting more beam lines and/or moving closer to the target to achieve greater particle acceptance. In spite of its small size, the magnet can achieve field gradients up to 5000 G/in.. The measured field quality generally equals or betters that of full-size quads, which is surprising considering the ultra-narrow width and the simple hyperbolic pole shape. A compact cooling circuit arrangement contributed to achievement of these results within such a small volume.
Perchlorate reduction by a novel chemolithoautotrophic, hydrogen‐oxidizing bacterium

Summary Water treatment technologies are needed that can remove perchlorate from drinking water without introducing organic chemicals that stimulate bacterial growth in water distribution systems. Hydrogen is an ideal energy source for bacterial degradation of perchlorate as it leaves no organic residue and is sparingly soluble. We describe here the isolation of a perchlorate-respiring, hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium (Dechloromonas sp. strain HZ) that grows with carbon dioxide as sole carbon source. Strain HZ is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped facultative anaerobe that was isolated from a gas-phase anaerobic packed-bed biofilm reactor treating perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. The ability of strain HZ to grow autotrophically with carbon dioxide as the sole carbon source was confirmed by demonstrating that biomass carbon (100.9%) was derived from CO2. Chemolithotrophic growth with hydrogen was coupled with complete reduction of perchlorate (10 mM) to chloride with a maximum doubling time of 8.9 h. Strain HZ also grew using acetate as the electron donor and chlorate, nitrate, or oxygen (but not sulphate) as an electron acceptor. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence placed strain HZ in the genus Dechloromonas within the β subgroup of the Proteobacteria. The study of this and other novel perchlorate-reducing bacteria may lead to new, safe technologies for removing perchlorate and other chemical pollutants from drinking water.
Structural imperfections in Pr/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B magnets with additions of Al, Cu and Zn

The coercivity of melt-spun Pr-Fe-B magnets has been found to increase with small additions of Al, Cu, and Zn. Systematic high-resolution electron microscope (HREM) observations were carried out to reveal the structural changes that might occur with these substitutions. Cu additions lead to planar imperfections which are found locally along
A Comparison of Radiolarian and Foraminiferal Paleoecology in the Southern Indian Ocean: New Evidence for the Interhemispheric Timing of Climatic Change

The deglacial transition between oxygen-isotope Stages 6 and 5e (about 127,000 yr B.P.) is marked by both oxygen isotopic depletion and estimated sea-surface temperature (SST) increase in two subantarctic Indian Ocean cores. The data show synchroneity between warming of foraminifera-based SST estimates and depletion of δ18O, but an earlier warming trend on the basis of radiolarian SST estimates. These data have been previously interpreted to indicate that the high-latitude Southern Ocean warms prior to significant melting of glacial-age ice sheets. Comparison of core-top assemblages with surface and subsurface conditions in the Southern Indian Ocean reveals that (1) a three-part foraminiferal zonation reflects the surface hydrographic regime, with abrupt faunal transitions at two major fronts: the Subtropical Convergence (STC) and the Antarctic Polar Front (APF); and (2) a two-part radiolarian zonation coincides with a two-part subsurface hydrographic regime, with an abrupt faunal transition corresponding to the southern terminus of subtropical lower water (STLW) between the STC and the APF. It is suggested that shifts of these surface and subsurface regimes are recorded by these foraminiferal and radiolarian assemblages. In this interpretation, the observed lead of radiolarian SST with respect to δ18O indicates an early response to a southward shift of STLW, while the later foraminiferal SST warming indicates a southward shift of the STC. Thus, the origin of the Southern Hemisphere SST lead may be related to STLW, which emanates from the subtropical gyres, rather than the polar regions.
Gendering resistance: British colonial narratives of wartime New Zealand

Abstract In 1850s New Zealand, the British Crown forced the purchase of indigenous Maori land at Taranaki, an event that hastened the brutal land wars of the 1860s. A group of British church and government officials and their wives voiced their opposition to this land confiscation, participating in what became known as the «pamphlet war» over Taranaki. The authors compare the anti-colonial writings of a number of prominent colonial men and women, drawing out the significance of both ideological and embodied gendered differences and the discursive representations of place produced out of them. In addition to differences and similarities in genre, content, and audience, the authors highlight the significance—and spatiality—of anti-colonial Maori testimony that appeared in one of the pivotal texts.
Pregnancy, alcohol use and the effectiveness of written health education materials

Abstract This study was conducted to determine whether health education materials were more effective when written at a lower rather than a higher reading level. Women ( n = 252) who visited public health maternity clinics selected either English- or Spanish-language health materials designed to discourage alcohol use, depending on whether the women preferred to read English or Spanish. The materials were written on the third and the 10th-grade reading levels. The women were randomly assigned to receive materials written on one of the two levels. Then participants completed the pre-test, read the health education material and were post-tested immediately. Among English-speaking participants, the material written at the lower reading level was shown to be more effective. Whereas among Spanish-speaking participants, test scores were unchanged after reading either health education material. Overall, we recommend that health care providers design or purchase materials that are easy-to-read and provide face-to-face counseling about abstaining from alcohol. Providers should not rely on written materials to communicate important messages when working with pregnant women.
Fate of plasmids containing Mu DNA: chromosome association and mobilization.

The fluorescent dye, diamidinophenylindole-dihydrochloride (DAPI) can be added to CsCl gradients to enhance the density resolution of DNA species, independent of their topological configurations. When Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli strains carrying an RP4::Mucts plasmid were examined with the use of such a technique, it was found that after thermal induction of the prophage essentially all of the plasmid DNA became associated with the chromosome. This quantitative association is detergent-RNase-and pronase-resistant and dependent on the expression of Mu genes. The association is temporally, and probably functionally, correlated with the onset of Mu DNA replication. Genetic studies with F'::mini Mu plasmids indicate that some of the association results in stable Hfr formation, and does not require the product of Mu gene B.
The impact of college course offerings on the supply of academically talented public school teachers

Abstract This paper identifies the impact of undergraduate teacher certification programs on the likelihood that recent college graduates enter and remain in public school teaching jobs. More selective postsecondary institutions are far less likely to offer teacher certification programs and those that do offer them are less likely to allow students to complete them within their four undergraduate years. First, to examine the overall relationship between the availability of teacher certification programs and the likelihood that academically talented students enter teaching careers, I combine Barron's ratings of college selectivity, detailed data tracking college seniors into the workforce, data on the types of teacher certification programs offered by their colleges, and data on states’ certification requirements. Next, to isolate the causal effect of program offerings, I treat the selection issue related to students sorting into colleges based on pre-existing interest in teaching careers as an omitted variable problem. Using another data set that surveys high school seniors’ career interests and tracks them into college, I estimate an upper bound for the magnitude of the bias in the baseline coefficient estimates. The results suggest that the addition of teacher certification programs that may be completed within four undergraduate years could increase rates of entry into public school teaching by at least 50% among recent graduates of certain selective colleges.
Chemistry of the river Niger II. Trace metals

The average concentrations of copper (140 ng l−1) and cadmium (< 10 ng l−1) in River Niger water are among the lowest in a major river. Phases leacheable by dilute acids account for 30–50% of the particulate metal load of the river. On a global basis, the delivery of metals by the River Niger seems to represent a tiny fraction of the fluvial input into the oceans. Assuming that the drainage basin of the River Niger is representative of those of the other major rivers on the continent, the transport of metals to the oceans by African rivers is estimated to be 280, 900, 620, 660 and < 20 t year−1, respectively, for Cu, Ni, Zn, Co and Cd. These data are orders of magnitude lower than what one finds in the literature, and point to the fact that the riverine flux of metals from the other regions of the world needs to be re-evaluated.
Assessing the Effects of Wives' Earnings on Family Income Inequality

We argue that the effect of wives' earnings can be assessed meaningfully only by comparing the observed distribution of income with a reference distribution. The components of the standard decomposition of the Gini coefficient have no implicit reference distribution and therefore should not be interpreted as a measure of the effect of an income source on inequality. We suggest several intuitive counterfactual reference distributions and illustrate their use with 1979 and 1989 U.S. data. We conclude that wives' earnings reduced inequality in that the income distribution would have been less equal in their absence. Alternative measures of the impact have mixed results.
"Reflections on a peach-seed monkey": Empowering relationships.

The focus of this essay is on human relationships, specifically, the empowering potential of those relationships, and, most particularly, on the empowering potential those relationships have for enabling us to discover our respective possibilities. It is argued that we often discover who we are and what we can become as our possibilities are discovered by another and reflected back to us. This empowering potential of human relationships can be helpfully understood as a manifestation of the redemptive role of God in human life.
X-ray absorption studies of Ge and Ga environments in BaOGa2O3GeO2 glasses

The local structure surrounding Ge and Ga cations in BaOGa2O3GeO2 glasses has been studied using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Based on comparisons with results for crystalline standards, the Ge and Ga in all the glasses are predominantly in tetrahedrally coordinated sites which are disordered relative to the crystals. While bond length and coordination stay fairly constant for all the glasses, disorder steadily increases with BaO content, especially in the second shell surrounding Ge and Ga. Previously observed trends in certain macroscopic physical properties, therefore, cannot be explained by coordination changes but may be due to longer-range structural variation.
Estimating the efficiency of ensemble quantum computing

Abstract A straightforward method to estimate the efficiency of ensemble quantum computing using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is presented by defining a quantum computing efficiency factor (QC e ). This method allows critical evaluation of the performance of quantum gates and algorithms and provides a way to design efficient quantum computer.
Model-Implied Invariance in Psychometrics: Be Skeptical When Theory Suggests Data are not Needed

George Engelhard's account of three giants of 20th-century psychometrics and their views of invariance in measurement is highly informative (Engelhard, 2008). Each of these psychometricians incorpo...
Practical applications of monitoring results to improve managing for coral reef resilience: a case study in the Mexican Caribbean

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are promoted as an effective strategy to balance human use and conservation of marine resources, yet case studies have shown mixed results regarding MPA success. Managing to promote resilience is widely recognized as a priority for MPAs that focus on the conservation of coral reefs and the ecological services they provide. To this end, there is an acute need to develop and implement methods that assimilate monitoring results into comprehensive summaries that can be understood and acted upon by local management to promote resilience. We used the Parque Nacional Arrecife de Puerto Morelos (PNAPM) as a model MPA to evaluate the utility of a resilience index framework proposed by Maynard et al. (Coral Reefs 29:381–391, 2010b) that uses a suite of broad- and local-scale indicators to rank the relative resilience of sites. Based on monitoring data we identify local stressors adversely impacting coral reef resilience that can be influenced by management actions. Improving regulation enforcement, conducting targeted invasive species removals, reallocating and restricting tourist activities, and establishing nutrient level regulations were identified as realistic adaptive management actions to promote resilience within the PNAPM. This first application of the Maynard et al. (Coral Reefs 29:381–391, 2010b) resilience index framework to a Caribbean MPA provides an example for MPA managers of the value of their monitoring data and the utility of a broadly applicable management tool to assist in managerial decisions. Moving beyond simply monitoring sites to management action is essential to promote resilience and maintain the health and existence of coral reef ecosystems.
Instrumental variables regressions with uncertain exclusion restrictions: a Bayesian approach

SUMMARY The identification of structural parameters in the linear instrumental variables (IV) model is typically achieved by imposing the prior identifying assumption that the error term in the structural equation of interest is orthogonal to the instruments. Since this exclusion restriction is fundamentally untestable, there are often legitimate doubts about the extent to which the exclusion restriction holds. In this paper I illustrate the effects of such prior uncertainty about the validity of the exclusion restriction on inferences based on linear IV models. Using a Bayesian approach, I provide a mapping from prior uncertainty about the exclusion restriction into increased uncertainty about parameters of interest. Moderate prior uncertainty about exclusion restrictions can lead to a substantial loss of precision in estimates of structural parameters. This loss of precision is relatively more important in situations where IV estimates appear to be more precise, for example in larger samples or with stronger instruments. I illustrate these points using several prominent recent empirical papers that use linear IV models. An accompanying electronic table allows users to readily explore the robustness of inferences to uncertainty about the exclusion restriction in their particular applications. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deviations from two-dimensionality in classical adsorbed films☆

Abstract The statistical mechanical theory of adsorption is presented as an expansion about the two-dimensional approximation. Two corrections to the latter are additive in the perturbation limit. One contribution, arising from the lateral variation of the substrate potential, has been previously evaluated. The second correction term is due to the particles' mutual interaction when their separation vector is not parallel to the surface. The latter is expressed in terms of the radial distribution function. Its contribution to the deviation from two-dimensionality is shown to be comparable to the first term for the case of a Lennard-Jones model.
Child Placement Issues of Women With Addictions

For a variety of reasons women with addictions have a significant risk of losing custody of one or more children. Child custody loss can elicit feelings of grief, anger, or hopelessness in women and can promote or inhibit recovery from their addiction. Recurrent pregnancies in women who have lost custody of one or more children and who are not in recovery also are common. Information about the women's experiences and the various types of out-of-home placements for children is provided. Such information can assist nurses in planning interventions that help mothers process their feelings about the custody loss in healthy ways and help promote mother-child attachment when reunification is possible.
Binary gene induction and protein expression in individual cells

Background: Eukaryotic gene transcription is believed to occur in either a binary or a graded fashion. With binary induction, a transcription activator (TA) regulates the probability with which a gene template is switched from the inactive to the active state without affecting the rate at which RNA molecules are produced from the template. With graded, also called rheostat-like, induction the gene template has continuously varying levels of transcriptional activity, and the TA regulates the rate of RNA production. Support for each of these two mechanisms arises primarily from experimental studies measuring reporter proteins in individual cells, rather than from direct measurement of induction events at the gene template. Methods and results: In this paper, using a computational model of stochastic gene expression, we have studied the biological and experimental conditions under which a binary induction mode operating at the gene template can give rise to differentially expressed "phenotypes" (i.e., binary, hybrid or graded) at the protein level. We have also investigated whether the choice of reporter genes plays a significant role in determining the observed protein expression patterns in individual cells, given the diverse properties of commonly-used reporter genes. Our simulation confirmed early findings that the lifetimes of active/inactive promoters and half-lives of downstream mRNA/ protein products are important determinants of various protein expression patterns, but showed that the induction time and the sensitivity with which the expressed genes are detected are also important experimental variables. Using parameter conditions representative of reporter genes including green fluorescence protein (GFP) and β-galactosidase, we also demonstrated that graded gene expression is more likely to be observed with GFP, a longer-lived protein with low detection sensitivity. Conclusion: The choice of reporter genes may determine whether protein expression is binary, graded or hybrid, even though gene induction itself operates in an all-or-none fashion.