cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of trends in reservoir storage, streamflow, and precipitation in the Canadian River watershed in New Mexico and Texas

AbstractDams and reservoirs were created on the Canadian River in New Mexico and Texas between 1918 and 1984 to supply water for irrigation and industrial and municipal uses; however, there are indications that the storage in the 4 major reservoirs is insufficient for current demand. This study was conducted to document changes in reservoir storage and streamflow throughout the watershed and to investigate the hypothesis that decreases in reservoir storage since 1990 were associated with changes in rainfall. Time-series analyses indicated that the reservoir storage values for all 4 major impoundments (Eagle Nest Lake, Conchas Lake, Ute Lake, and Lake Meredith) on the Canadian River in New Mexico and Texas during the decade of 2000–2009 were less than the historical means. Streamflows at all 4 USGS gauges on the Canadian River in New Mexico and Texas from 2000 to 2009 were less than the long-term mean flows. Mean annual precipitation from 36 weather stations either in or adjoining the watershed tended to b...
Transverse relaxation of spin-polarized 3He gas due to a magnetic field gradient.

The presence of a magnetic field gradient in a sample cell containing spin-polarized {sup 3}He gas will cause an increased transverse relaxation rate. The origin of this relaxation mechanism is the loss of phase coherence of the atoms due to the fluctuating magnetic field seen by the atoms as they diffuse throughout the cell. The Redfield theory of relaxation due to randomly fluctuating magnetic fields is applied to yield expressions for the transverse relaxation rate for spherical and cylindrical sample cells. Experiments performed with an experimental {sup 3}He free-precession magnetometer give results in agreement with the theory.
40 Years of dialogue on food sovereignty: A review and a look ahead

We review the evolution of the food sovereignty movement from its Green Revolution origins centered on food self-sufficiency to current dialogue focused on reduced use of transgenic crops, supporting small-scale agriculture, eschewing trade liberalization, and promoting agroecology principles. We discuss food sovereignty in the context of a “right to food” as has been put forward by the United Nations. We review food sovereignty discourse to assess what it contributes to key aspects of global food security. We conclude that, while food sovereignty has promise as a normative concept, it is unlikely to be implemented in any substantive way in the near future. Forces affecting the future of food including rapid population growth, upward food price trends, globalization, and institutional path dependence in global food and agricultural input markets are formidable adversaries.
CSG-BRep duality and compression

Solid Modeling technology has been traditionally divided into two camps: CSG and BRep. Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) represents a shape as a Boolean combination of half-spaces. A Boundary Representations (BRep) specifies the location of the vertices their connectivity, and a description of how they should be interpolated or approximated by a piecewise simple surface (such as a polyhedon, a subdivision surface, a Bspline, or a trimmed implicit or parametric patch). We will investigate the equivalence between CSG and BRep (using a simple duality) and will show that for a large class of polyhedral models, both can be encoded using (3k+4)N bits, where N represents the number of primitives in a CSG model or equivalently the number of vertices in the dual BRep,nd where k represents the number of bits used to represent a quantization of each coordinate of vectors that define each either a vertex of the BRep or a plane of the CSG primitive. We will review recent advances in lossless and lossy compression and in selective and progressive transmission over error-prone connections. In particular, we will describe in detail the Corner Table, a simple and compact data structure for processing triangle meshes, and the Edgebreaker 3D connectivity compression algorithm, whose simplicity (2 pages of code) and effectiveness (between 1 and 1.8 bits per triangle) surpasses other compression techniques and standards. Details and source code may be found at http://www.gvu.gatech.edu/~jarek/edgebreaker/eb/.
Bean Bag Snag Tester: A System of Evaluation

Three systems were investigated for evaluating the test results of the Bean Bag Snag Tester. It was found that the Modified Mace Snag Test standards invented by Leung and Hershkowitz could be adopted to obtain valid and reliable results on the Bean Bag Snag Tester. From this type of information, users can more effectively interpret the test results of the Bean Bag Snag Tester.
Functional Endoluminal Paving (FELP): Thermoforming, Biodegradation, and Mechanical Properties of a Novel Polymer Graft for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

The preferred method to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is endovascular repair with a stent-graft (EVAR). Although EVAR is fairly successful, there are several challenges to address, which include patient ineligibility due to complex anatomy and long-term failure due to migration and endoleak. Drug treatments that reduce or halt AAA growth are also currently under investigation [1].Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Social, behavioral, and biological factors, and sex differences in mortality.

Few studies have examined whether sex differences in mortality are associated with different distributions of risk factors or result from the unique relationships between risk factors and mortality for men and women. We extend previous research by systematically testing a variety of factors, including health behaviors, social ties, socioeconomic status, and biological indicators of health. We employ the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III Linked Mortality File and use Cox proportional hazards models to examine sex differences in adult mortality in the United States. Our findings document that social and behavioral characteristics are key factors related to the sex gap in mortality. Once we control for women’s lower levels of marriage, poverty, and exercise, the sex gap in mortality widens; and once we control for women’s greater propensity to visit with friends and relatives, attend religious services, and abstain from smoking, the sex gap in mortality narrows. Biological factors—including indicators of inflammation and cardiovascular risk—also inform sex differences in mortality. Nevertheless, persistent sex differences in mortality remain: compared with women, men have 30% to 83% higher risks of death over the follow-up period, depending on the covariates included in the model. Although the prevalence ofriskfactors differs by sex, the impact of those riskfactors on mortality is similar for men and women.
An assessment of SeaWinds on QuikSCAT wind retrieval

[1] The scatterometer ocean wind retrieval process produces several possible solutions or ambiguities at each point, requiring a separate ambiguity selection step to infer a unique wind vector field. An ambiguity selection error occurs when the selected wind vector is not the closest ambiguity to the true wind. The current ambiguity selection routine for SeaWinds is ad hoc, but performs well under most circumstances. Factors such as instrument noise and rain can also cause the estimated wind flow to deviate from the true wind. A quality assurance (QA) analysis is performed to assess the ambiguity selection effectiveness and noise level of the retrieved wind using a low-order wind field model. The wind field model is data-driven and shown to be rather insensitive to the training data set. The QA analysis demonstrates that the SeaWinds ambiguity selection process is at least 95% effective. Ambiguity selection errors are correlated with storms and rain corruption. A subjective analysis on a set of cyclonic storm passes confirms that the wind retrieval is somewhat less effective in storm regions.
GABAA and μ-opioid receptor binding in the globus pallidus and entopeduncular nucleus of animals symptomatic for and recovered from experimental Parkinsonism

Abstract The expression of parkinsonian motor symptoms may be partly attributed to an increase in GABAergic neurotransmission from hyperactive GABA/enkephalinergic striatopallidal efferents. The present study measured pallidal GABAA and μ-opioid receptor binding in normal cats and cats symptomatic for and recovered from MPTP-induced parkinsonism. GABAA receptor binding was significantly decreased in the globus pallidus (GP) in symptomatic cats and returned to normal levels in spontaneously recovered cats. Mu-opioid receptor binding in the GP was significantly decreased in symptomatic cats and remained significantly decreased in recovered cats. These results suggest that GABAA but not μ-opioid receptor binding may correlate with the expression of parkinsonian motor deficits and may reflect increased pallidal GABA and ENK release in parkinsonian animals. Upon recovery from experimental parkinsonism, however, pallidal GABAA receptor binding returns to normal levels while μ-opioid receptor binding reflecting enkephalin release remains elevated.
Hidden Markov Dirichlet process: modeling genetic inference in open ancestral space

The problem of inferring the population structure, linkage disequilibrium pattern, and chromosomal recombination hotspots from genetic polymorphism data is essential for understanding the origin and characteristics of genome variations, with important applications to the genetic analysis of disease propensities and other complex traits. Statistical genetic methodologies developed so far mostly address these problems separately using specialized models ranging from coalescence and admixture models for population structures, to hidden Markov models and renewal processes for recombination; but most of these approaches ignore the inherent uncertainty in the genetic complexity (e.g., the number of genetic founders of a population) of the data and the close statistical and biological relationships among objects studied in these problems. We present a new statistical framework called hidden Markov Dirichlet process (HMDP) to jointly model the genetic recombinations among a possibly infinite number of founders and the coalescence-with-mutation events in the resulting genealogies. The HMDP posits that a haplotype of genetic markers is generated by a sequence of recombination events that select an ancestor for each locus from an unbounded set of founders according to a 1st-order Markov transition process. Conjoining this process with a mutation model, our method accommodates both between-lineage recombination and within-lineage sequence variations, and leads to a compact and natural interpretation of the population structure and inheritance process underlying haplotype data. We have developed an efficient sampling algorithm for HMDP based on a two-level nested Polya urn scheme, and we present experimental results on joint inference of population structure, linkage disequilibrium, and recombination hotspots based on HMDP. On both simulated and real SNP haplotype data, our method performs competitively or significantly better than extant methods in uncovering the recombination hotspots along chromosomal loci; and in addition it also infers the ancestral genetic patterns and offers a highly accurate map of ancestral compositions of modern populations.
COULD AN ENDOGENOUS BENZODIAZEPINE LIGAND CONTRIBUTE TO HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY

Abstract High affinity recognition sites for benzodiazepines are part of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) supramolecular complex on the plasma membrane of neurons in the mammalian brain. Synthetic agonist benzodiazepines promote GABA-ergic neurotransmission, and hence the hypnotic and anxiolytic effects of this class of drugs, by binding to these sites. A normal physiological role for these binding sites is unknown, and an endogenous ligand for benzodiazepine receptors has not been definitely identified in normal animals. In animals and human beings with hepatic encephalopathy, however, benzodiazepine receptor antagonists have induced amelioration of the encephalopathy, and an endogenous substance that competitively binds to benzodiazepine receptors has been found in cerebrospinal fluid. These findings suggest that an endogenous ligand for the benzodiazepine receptor with agonist properties contributes to hepatic encephalopathy by promoting GABA-ergic neurotransmission.
Notes and double knocks from Arkansas.

In the search for ivory-billed woodpeckers ( Campephilus principalis ) in the Big Woods region of eastern Arkansas [“Ivory-billed woodpecker ( Campephilus principalis ) persists in continental North America,” Reports, 3 June, p. [1460][1]], our unattended digital autonomous recording units (ARUs) recorded over 17,000 hours of ambient sound at 153 sites between 18 December 2004 and 31 May 2005. Review and analysis of these recordings are ongoing, and a full account will be published when analyses are complete. Here we briefly describe examples of the possible nasal “kent” notes and “doublek-nock” display drums mentioned in our Report and provide them as supporting online material (SOM) ([1][2]). ![Figure][3] A painting of the ivory-billed woodpecker and the device used to record its calls.CREDITS: (PAINTING) LARRY CHANDLER; (PHOTO) SUSAN SPEAR, CORNELL LABORATORY OF ORNITHOLOGY On four different mornings in January 2005, a single ARU in the White River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) recorded a sequence of kent-like vocalizations. The four sequences, which lasted 8 to 41 s and contained between 11 and 26 notes, are extremely similar; the recording of 29 January (audio S2) is typical of them. In the same area, experienced observers have heard blue jays ( Cyanocitta cristata ) produce atypical notes resembling these ARU recordings. Quantitative comparisons of these kent-like sounds with sounds of known ivory-bills (SOM text; audio S1), white-breasted nuthatch ( Sitta carolinensis ), and the most kent-like notes of blue jay in the collection of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's Macaulay Library indicate that the notes recorded by the ARU are most similar to those of ivory-bills. Sounds that are strikingly similar to the double knocks of other Campephilus woodpeckers (SOM text; audio S3) were recorded by ARUs in several areas of the White River and Cache River NWRs. One recording (audio S4), made 1.3 km from the site of the kent-like notes discussed above at 0645 local time on 24 January, includes a low-amplitude, apparently distant double knock followed 3.5 s later by a higher-amplitude, apparently closer double knock. Although the sequence and cadence of this recording match an exchange between two individuals of a Campephilus woodpecker, the relative amplitude of the separate strikes in each double knock is atypical (SOM text). Additional descriptions and discussion of our acoustic data are available at [www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/field/listening][4]. Further acoustic monitoring and field observation (including intensive efforts to record a large sample of the vocal repertoire of local blue jays) are planned for the areas where these recordings were made. 1. [↵][5]The SOM is available on Science Online at . [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1114103 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: pending:yes [4]: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/field/listening [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text"
On the translation of languages from left to right

There has been much recent interest in languages whose grammar is sufficiently simple that an efficient left-to-right parsing algorithm can be mechanically produced from the grammar. In this paper, we define LR(k) grammars, which are perhaps the most general ones of this type, and they provide the basis for understanding all of the special tricks which have been used in the construction of parsing algorithms for languages with simple structure, e.g. algebraic languages. We give algorithms for deciding if a given grammar satisfies the LR(k) condition, for given k, and also give methods for generating recognizes for LR(k) grammars. It is shown that the problem of whether or not a grammar is LR(k) for some k is undecidable, and the paper concludes by establishing various connections between LR(k) grammars and deterministic languages. In particular, the LR(k) condition is a natural analogue, for grammars, of the deterministic condition, for languages.
Artificial neural networks for qualitative and quantitative analysis of target proteins with polymerized liposome vesicles.

Abstract We investigate the feasibility of using the luminescence response of polymerized liposomes incorporating ethylenediaminetetraacetate europium(III) (EDTA–Eu 3+ ) for monitoring protein concentrations in aqueous media. Quantitative analysis is based on the linear relationship between the luminescence enhancement of the lanthanide ion and protein concentration. Analytical figures of merit are presented for carbonic anhydrase, human serum albumin, γ-globulins, and thermolysin. Qualitative analysis is based on the luminescence lifetime of the liposome sensor. This parameter, which follows well-behaved single exponential decays and provides characteristic values for each of the four studied proteins, demonstrates the selective potential for protein identification. Then partial least squares-1 and artificial neural networks are compared toward the quantitative and qualitative analysis of human serum albumin and carbonic anhydrase in binary mixtures without previous separation at the concentration levels found in aqueous humor.
Language Error in Aviation Maintenance: Quantifying the Issues and Interventions in Four World Regions

There has been a great increase in contract maintenance among major airlines, to a current level of about 50%, with the fastest growing segment of the worldwide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) market outside the United States. Although English is the language of aviation, it is certainly not the native language of most of the world. This study assisted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in establishing a method for determining whether language barriers result in maintenance deficiencies. This article examines language error broadly before quantifying the issues and potential interventions for one class of language errors, those related to written documentation. Two studies of language errors in aviation maintenance collected data from 941 participants at 19 maintenance sites in 4 world regions: Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the United States. One survey was administered to assess the incidence of seven language error scenarios, and the factors leading to such errors and their detection. Language errors were found to be relatively common but largely detected before they could propagate through the maintenance system. An intervention test was conducted on the same sample to quantify the effectiveness of language error interventions, including use of European Association of Aerospace Manufacturers (AECMA) Simplified English, translation into the native language, use of an English-speaking coach, and provision of a local language glossary. The quantitative recommendations to both MROs and regulatory bodies for the effective reduction of language errors included the use of translation and language training as the only two effective interventions.
Characterization of acrylic resin matrix films and mechanisms of drug-polymer interactions

Abstract A polymeric matrix system for controlled drug release was developed employing the model drugs, salicylic acid and chlorpheniramine maleate, along with two acrylic resin polymers of varying permeability (Eudragits RL and RS). During drug release studies and sorption experiments with salicylic acid and the Eudragit RL polymer, the presence of an interaction between the drug and polymer was found. The physical and chemical properties of this drug-polymer complex were investigated to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction. The solubility of the salicylic acid and chlorpheniramine maleate in the polymeric films was determined to be greater than 10% w/w using DSC, SEM and powder x-ray diffraction. At a 10% drug loading, the drug molecules were dissolved in the polymer and the matrix existed as a solid solution. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that sorbed salicylic acid was in solution with the polymer rather than present as dispersed crystalline material. These Eudragit polymers interacted with acidic compounds in a manner similar to ion exchange resins which contain quaternary ammonium groups, as found in these polymers. Both reversible and irreversible binding of salicylic acid were observed during desorption studies, suggesting the presence of more than one type of binding interaction. The reversibility of salicylic acid binding with a change in ionic conditions supported the theory that the drug interacted with these polymers primarily via ionic electrostatic interactions. The absence of observed changes in the location or breadth of specific infrared absorption bands, suggested that hydrogen bonding between the salicylic acid and the polymer was minimal in the drug-polymer interaction. No evidence of new covalent chemical bond formation between the drug and the polymer was found. The dissolution release profiles for salicylic acid and chlorpheniramine maleate were directly correlated to the drug-polymer interactions. Decreases in pH or increases in ionic strength which minimized ionization of the anionic drug resulted in decreased drug sorption and increased drug release from the matrix films.
A physico-chemical study of crystal growth of hydroxyapatite bioceramic

Synthetic hydroxyapatite powders were pressed and fired at different temperatures for varying time intervals. Fired samples were fractured and the surface produced was examined by SEM. Four kinds of crystal growth has been seen, grains (principally) lamellae, dendritic interlacings and efflorescences and large hexagonal crystals. Evaluation of trends in activation energy permitted a determination of the temperatures at which phase transformation occurred and discussion of the competing processes involved. The studies confirmed that the optimum firing temperature is between 1100 degrees and 1150 degrees C.
Maintaining genetic diversity despite local extinctions: effects of population scale

A large body of research emphasizes the importance of population subdivision and local extinction for lowering effective population size. However, the effects of spatial structure on effective population size depend strongly on the scale of correlation between individuals, and may even be independent of the apparent scale of population subdivision. Here, generalized simulation models are used to explore the relationship between effective population size and the scale of correlated deaths or local extinctions. If the probability of local extinction scales logarithmically with population size, then highly subdivided populations suffering frequent local extinction may retain more diversity than less subdivided populations of equivalent size. This result clarifies the need for information on the scale of environmental correlation between individuals when applying genetic inference or genetic management strategies to natural populations.
Differentiated Perceptions of Exertion: Part II. Relationship to Local and Central Physiological Responses:

Differentiated ratings of perceived exertion in the legs and chest were compared to local and central physiological adjustments during submaximal cycle ergometer exercise. 50 male subjects performed three separate cycle ergometer tests. Power output was held constant at 840 kpm/min., while pedalling rate was randomly set at 40, 60, or 80 rpm. Differentiated reports of exertion from the legs were considered to be local signals and reports from the chest to be central signals. Ratings of exertion for the legs, chest and over-all body were each significantly higher at 40 rpm than 60 or 80 rpm. Heart rate, oxygen uptake, ventilation and respiratory rate were also higher at 40 rpm. Lactic acid, pH, and pCO2 were similar between pedalling rates. Lactic acid did not operate differentially to influence local perceptual signals from the legs. Central measures of respiratory and aerobic metabolic adjustments were consistent with the more intense regional report of chest exertion at 40 rpm.
Derangements of post-ischemic cerebral blood flow by protein kinase C delta

Cerebral ischemia causes blood flow derangements characterized by hyperemia (increased cerebral blood flow, CBF) and subsequent hypoperfusion (decreased CBF). We previously demonstrated that protein kinase C delta (δPKC) plays an important role in hippocampal neuronal death after ischemia. However, whether part of this protection is due to the role of δPKC on CBF following cerebral ischemia remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that δPKC exacerbates hyperemia and subsequent hypoperfusion resulting in CBF derangements following ischemia. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats pretreated with a δPKC specific inhibitor (δV1-1, 0.5 mg/kg) exhibited attenuation of hyperemia and latent hypoperfusion characterized by vasoconstriction followed by vasodilation of microvessels after 2-vessel occlusion plus hypotension measured by 2-photon microscopy. In an asphyxial cardiac arrest model (ACA), SD rats treated with δV1-1 (pre- and post-ischemia) exhibited improved perfusion after 24 h and less hippocampal CA1 neuronal death 7 days after ACA. These results suggest possible therapeutic potential of δPKC in modulating CBF and neuronal damage after cerebral ischemia.
Leupeptin, a protease inhibitor, blocks insemination-induced flight muscle histolysis in the fire ant Solenopsis

Abstract The effect of the protease inhibitor leupeptin on flight muscle histolysis in queen fire ants was studied by electron microscopy. In untreated animals artificially inseminated, muscle involution was apparent at 6 hr post-insemination and complete by 24 hr post-insemination. However, in animals pre-treated with leupeptin and subsequently artifically inseminated, no morphologic evidence of flight muscle breakdown was seen at any interval between 6 and 24 hr post-insemination. Such information appears to indicate that one or more proteases are involved in the process of insemination-induced muscle atrophy in fire ants. The most likely candidate is a soluble, calcium-activated myofilament-associated protease.
Speculations concerning some uses of gaining

Working with games leads to situations in which one's thinking is constantly tested by direct confrontation with a very wide variety of people. "Games challenge people, but people also challenge games." Very few weeks go by without a specific challenge to my work from the social or pedagogical "left" on grounds that an emphasis on games exacerbates the already pronounced tendency for our society to be too competitive-and an attack from the "right" on grounds that games are trivial. But quite apart from those kinds of challenge there is the more direct challenge that comes from people who engage in playing games and declare that they are not as much fun as they anticipated, or that they contain false and misleading features.
Fabrication of large optical surfaces using a combination of polishing and mirror bending

In order to reduce polishing costs and correct unexpected errors in fabrication and polishing, the support of very large optics can be actively enlisted in telescope mirror optical figure adjustment. A set of leaf springs is used by the Keck Ten-Meter Telescope to apply moments about the pivots of the mirror mosaics' whiffletree support. The springs successfully reduce the polished rms surface error by a factor of 6 to 15, while reducing the 80-percent enclosed energy diameter by a factor of 2.5-6.0. Additional current limitations on figure improvement include the difficulties of polishing higher spatial frequencies and predicting warping during mirror fabrication.
Allylglycine affects acetylation of putrescine and spermidine in mouse brain

Administration of allylglycine to mice (.8 mmole/kg, i.p.) results in a depletion of GABA levels, and it is accompanied by a decrease in SAM-DC activity and spermidine and spermine levels (Pajunen et al., 1979). Here we describe a biphasic effect on the acetylation of putrescine and spermidine in mouse brain homogenate. There appears to be an inverse correlation between the initial decrease in spermidine levels at 2 hours and the increase in the acetylation of spermidine. This is suggestive of a conversion of spermidine, probably through N1-acetylspermidine to putrescine. The peak of putrescine acetylation observed by us at 4 hours may also reflect a conversion of putrescine, via acetylputrescine to GABA. The interconversion hypothesis is supported by the fact that putrescine levels remain essentially stable in spite of a significant depletion of spermidine and spermine. In addition, there is a decrease in putrescine and spermidine acetylation at 8 hours, which coincides with the increase in ODC activity and the increase towards control levels of GAD activity (Pajunen et al., 1979). Such inverse correlations suggest a mechanism for replenishment of polyamines once GAD activity returns to control levels.
Reutilization of surfactant phosphatidylglycerol and lysophosphatidylcholine by adult rabbits.

Abstract Adult rabbits reutilize the phosphatidylcholine (PC) of surfactant much less efficiently than developing rabbits (22% vs. 95%). Comparisons of reutilization efficiency of other components of surfactant in adult rabbits have not been determined. We injected adult rabbits intratracheally with [ 3 H]dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPG) mixed with [ 14 C]lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) and natural surfactant or [ 14 C)DPPC mixed with [ 3 H]dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) and natural surfactant. Recovery in the alveolar wash and lamellar bodies of labelled DPPC, lysoPC and DPPG was determined at different times after injection. By plotting the ratio of [ 3 H]DPPG to [ 14 C]DPPC in the alveolar wash versus time after injection we found that phosphatidylglycerol was reutilized with an efficiency of only 0–7% which was much less than the reutilization of PC in these animals. At early times after injection, adult rabbits injected with [ 14 C]lysoPC had a ratio of [ 14 C]PC in their alveolar wash to lamellar bodies that was larger than 1.0. By comparison, 3-day old rabbits injected intratracheally with [ 14 C]lysoPC had a ratio of [ 14 C)PC in alveolar wash to lamellar bodies less than 1.0 at the earliest times measurable. Thus adult rabbits demonstrate a pathway for accumulation of PC in their alveolar space prior to its appearance in lamellar bodies. This was not detected in developing rabbits. As in developing rabbits, adult rabbits reutilize the phosphatidylglycerol of surfactant less efficiently than the PC of surfactant.
Modeling salt movement through a Mojave Desert soil

Abstract Salt flux through soils can significantly influence local and global processes. For example, desert soils can atypically concentrate NO 3 - at depth in soil profiles. CaCO 3 precipitation/dissolution can play significant roles as either sinks or sources of global carbon. The objectives of this work were to develop a salt-flux model for long-term (>1000 years) simulations of desert soils and examine the consequences of climate, soils, system inputs, and land-use change on salt movement in arid soils. The field study was conducted at the Nevada Test Site in the northern Mojave Desert. New additions to the CALGYP model allowing for site-specific parameterization included stochastic rainfall model, salt inputs, soil water-holding capacities, and soil CO 2 profiles. New ions added to the model included Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , Cl − , and NO 3 - . About 81% of Ca 2+ input remained within the surface 1.0 m of soil as CaCO 3 , which argues in favor of soil CaCO 3 serving as a recalcitrant sink for global carbon. In contrast, ≈99.96% of Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , Cl − , NO 3 - , and SO 4 2 - ions leached to soil depths >1.0 m and 94.3% leached to soil depths >2.0 m. This is true despite only 1.64% of the rainfall leached beyond 1.0 m and 0.020% of the rainfall leached beyond 2.0 m. The leachability of NO 3 - and Cl − to soil depths > 2.0 m agrees with NO 3 - and Cl − accumulations at depth in Mojave Desert soils (1.3–2.7 m). Simulation of extreme events and years with a stochastic rainfall model and accurate soil water-holding capacities are critical for modeling water and salt flux through soils.
Fatty acid amide hydrolase competitively degrades bioactive amides and esters through a nonconventional catalytic mechanism.

The greater reactivity of esters relative to amides has typically been reflected in their faster rates of both solvolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. In contrast to this general principle, the serine hydrolytic enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) was found to degrade amides and esters with equivalent catalytic efficiencies. Mutation of a single lysine residue (K142) to alanine (K142A) abolished this property, generating a catalytically compromised enzyme that hydrolyzed esters more than 500-fold faster than amides. Conversion of this same lysine residue to glutamic acid (K142E) produced an enzyme that also displayed severely diminished catalytic activity, but one that now maintained FAAH's ability to react with amides and esters at competitive rates. The significant catalytic defects exhibited by both the K142A and K142E mutants, in conjunction with their altered pH−rate profiles, support a role for lysine 142 as a general base involved in the activation of FAAH's serine nucleophile. Moreover, the dram...
Actions of lidocaine on reentrant ventricular rhythms in the subacute myocardial infarction period in dogs

The actions of lidocaine were studied in 18 dogs, 4 days after ligation of the left anterior descending artery, by computerized mapping. Lidocaine only occasionally suppressed the induction of reentry. At fast heart rates, lidocaine actually facilitated the induction of reentry. The effects on conduction and refractoriness of normal and ischemic myocardium were measured using high-resolution techniques. Lidocaine promoted reentry by a rate-dependent increase in refractory gradient, resulting in additional block, and a selective decrease in conduction velocity in ischemic tissue, resulting in additional conduction delay. Lidocaine could prevent reentry through a rate-independent differential increase in refractory period gradient at the entrance to the common pathway of the circuit, causing block of the reentrant impulse. We conclude that the proarrhythmic effect of lidocaine is due to increased conduction delay and block while the antiarrhythmic effect is due to block of the reentrant impulse by prolonged refractoriness in the common pathway.
Modeling photosynthesis in sea ice-covered waters

The lower trophic levels of marine ecosystems play a critical role in the Earth System mediating fluxes of carbon to the ocean interior. Many of the functional relationships describing biological rate processes, such as primary productivity, in marine ecosystem models are nonlinear functions of environmental state variables. As a result of nonlinearity, rate processes computed from mean fields at coarse resolution will differ from similar computations that incorporate small-scale heterogeneity. Here we examine how subgrid-scale variability in sea ice thickness impacts simulated net primary productivity (NPP) in a 1°×1° configuration of the Community Earth System Model (CESM). CESM simulates a subgrid-scale ice thickness distribution and computes shortwave penetration independently for each ice thickness category. However, the default model formulation uses grid-cell mean irradiance to compute NPP. We demonstrate that accounting for subgrid-scale shortwave heterogeneity by computing light limitation terms under each ice category then averaging the result is a more accurate invocation of the photosynthesis equations. Moreover, this change delays seasonal bloom onset and increases interannual variability in NPP in the sea ice zone in the model. The new treatment reduces annual production by about 32% in the Arctic and 19% in the Antarctic. Our results highlight the importance of considering heterogeneity in physical fields when integrating nonlinear biogeochemical reactions.
Splice-site pairing is an intrinsically high fidelity process

The extensive alternative splicing in higher eukaryotes has initiated a debate whether alternative mRNA isoforms are generated by an inaccurate spliceosome or are the consequence of highly degenerate splice sites within the human genome. Here, we established a quantitative assay to evaluate the accuracy of splice-site pairing by determining the number of incorrect exon-skipping events made from constitutively spliced pre-mRNA transcripts. We demonstrate that the spliceosome pairs exons with an astonishingly high degree of accuracy that may be limited by the quality of pre-mRNAs generated by RNA pol II. The error rate of exon pairing is increased by the effects of the neurodegenerative disorder spinal muscular atrophy because of reduced levels of Survival of Motor Neuron, a master assembler of spliceosomal components. We conclude that all multi-intron-containing genes are alternatively spliced and that the reduction of SMN results in a general splicing defect that is mediated through alterations in the fidelity of splice-site pairing.
Differential usage of transcriptional start sites and polyadenylation sites in FMR1 premutation alleles

5'- and 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs) are important regulators of gene expression and play key roles in disease progression and susceptibility. The 5'-UTR of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene contains a CGG repeat element that is expanded (>200 CGG repeats; full mutation) and methylated in fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common form of inherited intellectual disability (ID) and known cause of autism. Significant phenotypic involvement has also emerged in some individuals with the premutation (55-200 CGG repeats), including fragile X-associated premature ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI) in females, and the neurodegenerative disorder, fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), in older adult carriers. Here, we show that FMR1 mRNA in human and mouse brain is expressed as a combination of multiple isoforms that use alternative transcriptional start sites and different polyadenylation sites. Furthermore, we have identified a novel human transcription start site used in brain but not in lymphoblastoid cells, and have detected FMR1 isoforms generated through the use of both canonical and non-canonical polyadenylation signals. Importantly, in both human and mouse, a specific regulation of the UTRs is observed in brain of FMR1 premutation alleles, suggesting that the transcript variants may play a role in premutation-related pathologies.
A laboratory evaluation of partial synthetic automatic transmission fluids

Blending synthetic fluids with conventional base stocks gave large reductions in low temperature viscosity without appreciable reductions in high temperature viscosity or deterioration in properties such as volatility or flash point. Ten percent blends of a polyalpbaolefin or an ester synthetic reduced the viscosity at — 27.9°C by approximately 50%. These blends gave improved oxidation stability as measured by the Aluminum Beaker Oxidation Test, but poorer antiwear performance as measured by the Four Ball Test. The latter result indicated that the antiwear additive package should be optimised to accommodate composition differences between conventional fluids and conventional/synthetic blends.
HOME SCHOOLING AS A SOCIAL MOVEMENT: IDENTIFYING THE DETERMINANTS OF HOMESCHOOLERS' PERCEPTIONS*

ABSTRACT This article seeks to estimate the extent to which home schooling parents perceive themselves as social movement participants and to identify the factors contributing to such beliefs. The impact of collective action frames, feelings of efficacy, social network ties, and home schooling motivations are considered. Regression models are employed in an analysis of original survey data from an organized group of Southern California homeschoolers. Home schooling motivations are most salient in determining whether one interprets their activities as part of a larger movement. Social network tie indicators are largely unimportant in the models. The findings highlight the important role of organizational affiliation and integration. Homeschoolers without affiliations and those who are less integrated into their support organizations are not likely to feel as if they are part of a larger movement. Organizational integration—specifically attitudinal affinity—also appears to make home schooling parents become...
Teaching IP core development: an example

The increasing gap between design productivity and chip complexity, and emerging systems-on-a-chip (SoC) have led to the wide utilization of reusable intellectual property (IP) cores. Educators' responsibility is to provide future generations of SoC architects with knowledge necessary for successful design and use of IP cores, and to offer them a system perspective including both hardware and software. One way to accomplish this goal is through projects focused on soft CPU cores development. In this paper, we show the design flow and give the details of one such project aimed to develop a Microchip's PIC18 microcontroller core and implement it on an FPGA.
Recovery of imperiled species under the Endangered Species Act: the need for a new approach

The recovery (delisting) of a threatened or endangered species is often accompanied by the expectation that conservation management of the species will no longer be necessary. However, the magnitude and pace of human impacts on the environment make it unlikely that substantial progress will be made in delisting many species unless the definition of “recovery” includes some form of active management. Preventing delisted species from again being at risk of extinction may require continuing, species-specific management actions. We characterize such species as “conservation-reliant”, and suggest that viewing “recovery” as a continuum of states rather than as a simple “recovered/not recovered” dichotomy may enhance our ability to manage such species within the framework of the Endangered Species Act. With ongoing loss of habitat, disruption of natural disturbance regimes, and the increasing impacts of non-native invasive species, it is probable that the number of conservation-reliant species will increase. We ...
The causes of racial and ethnic differences in influenza vaccination rates among elderly Medicare beneficiaries.

Influenza outbreaks occur nearly every year and cause significant excess medical costs (McBean, Babish, and Warren 1993), as well as an average of 36,000 excess deaths, mostly among the elderly (Bridges et al. 2003). Influenza vaccination has been shown to significantly reduce influenza-related morbidity and mortality (Bridges et al. 2003), and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that nearly all persons over the age of 50 receive annual vaccination (Bridges et al. 2003). Since 1993, Medicare has covered the full cost of influenza vaccination. While the Healthy People 2000 goal of 60 percent influenza vaccination among the elderly has been met at the national level, significant racial disparities persist (CDC 2003a, b). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for 2000 and 2001 combined indicate rates of 66.0 percent among elderly non-Hispanic whites, 48.3% among non-Hispanic blacks, and 53.7 percent among Hispanics (CDC 2003a). National Health Interview Survey data indicate similar rates in 2002 of 69.6, 48.5, and 50.7 percent, respectively (CDC 2003b). Elimination of these disparities is a goal of Healthy People 2010 (HHS 1999) and the Racial and Ethnic Adult Disparities in Immunization Initiative (READII) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS 2002). This work is made more difficult because the causes of the disparity are poorly understood and the effectiveness of strategies to increase immunizations has not been established in minority populations. Meta-analyses (Szilagyi et al. 2000; Stone et al. 2002) have documented the effectiveness of both patient-focused strategies, such as mailed reminders and patient education, and clinic-based strategies, such as providing physician reminders and incentives, allocating space and personnel at clinics for the purpose of providing vaccinations, and empowering nurses to provide influenza vaccinations. However, many of these studies were conducted in areas with low minority populations, or used administrative databases that do not identify the race of the beneficiary. How well these strategies will work in minority populations, which may have different barriers to overcome, is not clear. For example, organizational changes at a clinic will have little effect on populations that access clinical care infrequently, and postcard reminders may have little effect on populations with resistant attitudes or beliefs regarding vaccination. The purpose of this study was to identify the causes of racial and ethnic disparities in influenza vaccination in the elderly in order to better inform efforts to eliminate the disparity. We explored three possible causes of the disparity: (1) differences in resistant attitudes and beliefs regarding influenza vaccination, (2) differences in access to care during weeks when influenza vaccinations were given, and (3) discriminatory treatment of African-American and Hispanic patients by their providers.
Response 2: An Age of Incorporation?

Richard Schneirov's call for rethinking the post-Reconstruction era is long overdue and most welcome. For reasons he lays out with admirable clarity and insight, recent approaches have not offered a satisfactory synthesis. A new narrative offers considerable benefits to historians of the era and the broader publics we serve.
Lower bounds on type inference with subtypes

We investigate type inference for programming languages with subtypes. As described in previous work, there are several type inference problems for any given expression language, depending on the form of the subtype partial order and the ability to define new subtypes in programs. Our first main result is that for any specific subtype partial order, the problem of determining whether a lambda term is typable is algorithmically (polynomial-time) equivalent to a form of satisfiability problem over the same partial order. This gives the first exact characterization of the problem that is independent of the syntax of expressions. In addition, since this form of satisfiability problem is PSPACE-hard over certain partial orders, this equivalence strengthens the previous lower bound of NP-hard to PSPACE-hard. Our second main result is a lower bound on the length of most general types when the subtype hierarchy may change as a result of additional type declarations within the program. More specifically, given any input expression, a type inference algorithm tries to find a most general (or principal) typing. The property of a most general typing is that it has all other possible typings as instances. However, there are several sound notions of instance in the presence of subtyping. Our lower bound is that no sound definition of instance would allow the set of additional subtyping hypotheses about a term to grow less than linearly in the size of the term.