cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The geometry of natural selection in cave and spring populations of the amphipod Gammarus minus Say (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

The shape of the fitness function was investigated in a spring population (Davis Spring) and a cave population (Organ Cave) of the amphipod Gammarus minus in southern West Virginia. The first three principal components of a series of size, antennal and eye measurements and two fitness components (amplexus and number of eggs) were investigated. Smoothing splines using generalized cross-validation scores were found as were least-squares quadratic regression equations. Confidence intervals on shape, as determined by a smoothing parameter, were calculated using a bootstrap approach. Out of 18 cases, there were six cases of no selection, six cases of directional (monotonic) selection, one case of stabilizing selection, one case of disruptive selection, and four cases of selection with multiple internal maxima and minima. Selection on the cave population was frequently directional (5), resulting from strong directional selection for increased size, larger antennae, and smaller eyes. Selection on the spring population, the ancestral habitat for the species, was frequently non-monotonic (five cases) and rarely directional (one case). In both populations, stabilizing selection was rare and no more common than disruptive selection.
Mothers' Perspectives on Signs of Child Sexual Abuse in Their Families:

Child sexual abuse can be difficult to detect. Most children tell no one, and they often show no signs of abuse. This article reports on interviews with mothers of survivors of child sexual abuse. The purpose of the interview research was to understand mothers’ experiences of the signs, the lack of signs, and the signs that made sense once the abuse came to light. This article is relevant to practice because, first, it shows how difficult child sexual abuse can be to detect, and second, it shows the shock and devastation that some mothers experience when child sexual abuse occurs in their families. Service provider sensitivity and attunement are shown to be key to effective practice in this area.
Effect of the prostacyclin synthetase inhibitor tranylcypromine on uterine blood flow in pregnancy

Abstract Prostacyclin is a potent vasodilator in a number of vascular beds including the uterus. However, the role of prostacyclin in maintaining uterine blood flow during pregnancy is not well established. Recent reports have appeared suggesting that tranylcypromine can selectively inhibit prostacyclin synthesis. Thus, the present study was undertaken using an unanesthetized chronically catheterized pregnant sheep preparation to evaluate the effects of direct intra-arterial infusions of tranylcypromine on the uterine vasculature of late-term pregnant ewes. Infusions of 1, 3 and 10 mg/min of tranylcypromine led to dose-related reduction in uterine blood flow (16, 21 and 47 percent, respectively) and increased blood pressure (7, 10 and 23 percent, respectively). However, these alterations were not associated with reductions in the uterine production rates of the prostacyclin metabolite, 6-keto-PGF1α, as determined by unextracted plasma RIA. In addition, pre-treatment of animals with the α-adrenergic blocking agent, phenoxybenzamine, almost totally abolished uterine and systemic blood pressure responses to tranylcypromine. These data suggest that tranylcypromine either releases or elevates levels of an alpha adrenergic stimulant which constricts the uterine and systemic vasculature and does not alter prostacyclin levels at the dose tested.
The Evolution of the Adsorbed Solution Layer during Atmospheric Corrosion and Its Effects on the Corrosion Rate of Copper

A better understanding of the atmospheric corrosion of materials requires an improved knowledge of the adsorbed electrolyte layer. Such insights include the ionic constituents present and their concentrations as well as how these depend on experimental variables such as time, pollutant gas, and relative humidity. The present work describes experiments which combine quartz crystal microbalance measurements with ion chromatography to study the evolution of the adsorbed electrolyte layer during the exposures of Au and Cu to low levels of NO[sub 2]. These measurements show that it takes up to 20 h for the electrolyte layer to approach a steady-state composition in which the nitrate concentration is on the order of 1M. The dominant nitrogen specie is nitrate, though both nitrate and nitrate are detectable. The results support the idea that metal surfaces preferentially catalyze one of the NO[sub 2]/water reaction pathways. The corrosion rate of copper was shown to increase only after a sufficiently aggressive solution chemistry was developed in the adsorbed electrolyte.
A necessary and sufficient condition for embedding principally decomposable finite lattices into the computably enumerable degrees

Abstract We present a necessary and sufficient condition for the embeddability of a principally decomposable finite lattice into the computably enumerable degrees. This improves a previous result which required that, in addition, the lattice be ranked. The same condition is also necessary and sufficient for a finite lattice to be embeddable below every non-zero computably enumerable degree.
Functional equivalence of the zinc finger transcription factors Osr1 and Osr2 in mouse development.

Abstract Osr1 and Osr2 are the only mammalian homologs of the Drosophila odd-skipped family developmental regulators. The Osr1 protein contains three zinc-finger motifs whereas Osr2 exists in two isoforms, containing three and five zinc-finger motifs respectively, due to alternative splicing of the transcripts. Targeted null mutations in these genes in mice resulted in distinct phenotypes, with heart and urogenital developmental defects in Osr1−/− mice and with cleft palate and open eyelids at birth in Osr2−/− mice. To investigate whether these contrasting mutant phenotypes are due to differences in their protein structure or to differential expression patterns, we generated mice in which the endogenous Osr2 coding region was replaced by either Osr1 cDNA or Osr2A cDNA encoding the five-finger isoform. The knockin alleles recapitulated endogenous Osr2 mRNA expression patterns in most tissues and completely rescued cleft palate and cranial skeletal developmental defects of Osr2−/− mice. Mice hemizygous or homozygous for either knockin allele exhibited open-eyelids at birth, which correlated with differences in expression patterns between the knockin allele and the endogenous Osr2 gene during eyelid development. Molecular marker analyses in Osr2−/− and Osr2Osr1ki/Osr1ki mice revealed that Osr2 controls eyelid development through regulation of the Fgf10–Fgfr2 signaling pathway and that Osr1 rescued Osr2 function in maintaining Fgf10 expression during eyelid development in Osr2Osr1ki/Osr1ki mice. These results indicate that the distinct functions of Osr1 and Osr2 during mouse development result from evolutionary divergence of their cis regulatory sequences rather than distinct biochemical activities of their protein products.
The effectiveness of reward systems on innovative output: An empirical analysis

This study investigated the relationship of patent output to the reward systems for individual R&D scientists in high technology firms. A survey of technical managers in 57 Connecticut firms collected information on firm size, R&D expenditure, and the frequency of use of eighteen different reward systems. Using a regression model, patent output was found to be dependent on firm size, R&D expenditure, and on monetary and non-monetary reward systems, informal award programs and variable bonuses based on the issue of patents. When a subset of small firms was investigated separately, non-monetary rewards were shown to be ineffective. However, variable bonuses remained important to patent output and large sum reward payments ($50,000) also demonstrated a significant effect.
Vibromolded and cast zircon nozzles for the pony ladles in continuous steelcasting

It was shown that vibromolding and slip-easting techniques can be used to produce nozzles with a more homogeneous structure and higher thermal strength and density than those of industrial nozzles. The durability in service of the experimental nozzles was better than that of the industrial nozzles.
VACTERL-hydrocephaly, DK-phocomelia, and cerebro-cardio-radio-reno-rectal community

Phenotypic manifestations of the autosomal recessive form of VACTERL-hydrocephaly syndrome (David-O'Callaghan syndrome) and the X-linked recessive form (Hunter-MacMurray) syndrome are almost identical. The absence of cardiovascular malformations in cases with undoubtedly X-linked inheritance may be the only exception. The comparison of patients with David-O'Callaghan syndrome and nonclassified sporadic cases of VACTERL-hydrocephaly showed two marked differences. First, radial involvement (usually bilateral) occurred in all familial but only in 22 of 36 sporadic cases. Therefore, radial noninvolvement may be evidence against a genetic origin of the complex in a sporadic case. Second, predominantly severe forms of cardiovascular malformations were found in cases of David-O'Callaghan syndrome, whereas in sporadic cases almost all cardiovascular malformations were simple defects with minimal, if any, hemodynamic disturbances. The similarity of the spectrum and frequency of main manifestations of David-O'Callaghan and von Voss-Cherstvoy syndromes allows us to think that both of these syndromes actually might be 2 forms of one genetic entity. There are some syndromes with abnormalities of the brain (different for each syndrome) sharing the same limb defects (mainly preaxial), congenital heart defects, abnormalities of kidneys, and anal atresia/ectopia. Baller-Gerold syndrome, Steinfeld syndrome, XK-aprosencephaly, and DK-phocomelia (von Voss-Cherstvoy) syndrome as well as Mendelian forms of VACTERL-hydrocephaly syndromes fit into this “cerebro-cardio-radio-reno-rectal community.” Am. J. Med. Genet. 70:144–149, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Design of Skill-Based Adaptive Interface: The Effect of a Gentle Push

To accommodate individual skill differences in using a computer interface, a skill adaptive interface was designed and tested. Current human-computer interaction modes can be classified into two types, recall and recognition based interfaces. They have different memory requirements and generally allow different operating speeds and learning time. However, a static combination of the two interface modes has drawbacks. The dynamic skill adaptive interface introduced in this study tries to eliminate these problems without sacrificing the advantages from either interface modes by gently ‘pushing’ users to switch to the appropriate interface mode. Experiment showed that the adaptive interface can yield significant better performances than the static hybrid interface for certain groups of users.
Abstract Expressionism and the modern experience

List of illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Part I. The History and Culture of Abstract Expressionism: 1. The psychology of crisis: historical roots 2. Propaedeutics: intellectual roots Part II. The Artists: 3. Clyfford Still: of plenitude and power 4. Mark Rothko: 'In My Beginning is My End' 5. Adolph Gottlieb: the allegorical epic 6. Barnett Newman: new beginnings 7. William Baziotes: tremors of history 8. Jackson Pollock: ancient energies 9. Willem de Kooning: a fever of matter 10. Robert Motherwell: the school of Paris meets New York 11. The expansiveness of abstract expressionism Conclusion 12. Vernacular abstraction: the domestication of abstract expressionism in the 1950s Epilogue.
A flow study in radial inflow turbine scroll-nozzle assembly

The present analysis describes the flow behavior in the combined scroll-nozzle assembly of a radial inflow turbine. This model was chosen to provide a better understanding of the mutual interaction effects of these two components on the flow. The finite element method is used in the solution of the flow field in this multiply connected domain. The mass flow rates in the different nozzle channels is not presumed constant, but is determined from the solution.
Transplacental interferon-mediated effect in AKR mice.

Abstract This study was designed to determine whether or not exogenous interferon could produce a modification of virus production in the progeny of mice treated with interferon during gestation. Pregnant AKR mice were treated with exogenous mouse interferon and their progeny examined for the presence of endogenous, ecotropic murine leukemia viruses by the XC assay. Interferon treatment inhibited virus production in most of the progeny for at least 1 week after birth as compared to control mice. The results of this study clearly demonstrates that: (i) treatment of pregnant mice with exogenous interferon mediates a biological effect frequently associated with interferon in their progeny and (ii) the spontaneous production of infectious, ecotropic murine leukemia viruses by AKR mice can be inhibited by treatment during gestation.
Study of Thermal Oxide Solid-State Reaction on GaAs Surfaces

In this paper, we will present a study of the thermal reaction of AsjOs with GaAs at temperatures below 550°C using monochromatic X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (MXPS). A solid-state interface reaction of 4GaAs + 3AS2O5 → 2Ga2O3 + 3AS2O3 + 4As, which includes the usual native oxide thermal reaction: 2GaAs + AS2O3 → Ga2O3 + 4As, as well as a decomposition reaction AS2O5 → AS2O3 + O2 is responsible for the thermal reaction in this temperature range.
On the Application of Multiattribute Utility Theory to Models of Choice

Ellsberg (The Quarterly Journal of Economics 75, 643–669 (1961); Risk, Ambiguity and Decision, Garland Publishing (2001)) argued that uncertainty is not reducible to risk. At the center of Ellsberg’s argument lies a thought experiment that has come to be known as the three-color example. It has been observed that a significant number of sophisticated decision makers violate the requirements of subjective expected utility theory when they are confronted with Ellsberg’s three-color example. More generally, such decision makers are in conflict with either the ordering assumption or the independence assumption of subjective expected utility theory. While a clear majority of the theoretical responses to these violations have advocated maintaining ordering while relaxing independence, a persistent minority has advocated abandoning the ordering assumption. The purpose of this paper is to consider a similar dilemma that exists within the context of multiattribute models, where it arises by considering indeterminacy in the weighting of attributes rather than indeterminacy in the determination of probabilities as in Ellsberg’s example.
A crack at the interface of two power-law hardening materials—Antiplane case

Abstract T he singular behavior near the crack tip at the interface between two power-law hardening materials is studied for the case of antiplane deformation. The stress-strain curves for both materials are approximated by segments that additively combine the perfectly plastic and linear elastic behaviors in such a way that within each segment the traction is continuous across the interface. The overall solution is obtained by summing a sufficiently large number of segments, leading to an integral representation. For power-law hardening materials with different hardening exponents, n1 and n2, two asymptotic solutions are obtained. One is the near crack tip asymptotic solution, which shows that the interfacial stress singularity near the crack tip is − l/(n+1),where n = max (n1, n2). The other one is obtained under the condition that one material is much harder than the other material, and can be considered as a rigid body.
Patriarchal Women: A Case Study of Newly Orthodox Jewish Women

Although it seems obvious why men might turn to a community steeped in patriarchal tradition, it is much more difficult to explain women’s attraction. To explain their attraction the author conducted in-depth interviews with 75 newly orthodox Jewish women. Although many of these women began their journeys toward Jewish Orthodoxy partly as a backlash against feminism or any liberation movement they perceived as placing individual freedom above social responsibility, the data also suggest that almost all of them selectively incorporate and adapt some protofeminist values about the family and about men. This article explores the ways in which these women seem to make “feminist” sense out of patriarchal religion and social strucuture. This study explores the attitudes, values and experiences and concerns of newly orthodox Jewish women (called baalot teshuva in Hebrew) who have voluntarily entered a world many regard as patriarchal and oppressive to women. There is ample evidence attesting to women’s second class status within Jewish orthodoxy. Feminists have emphasized the most blatant, and at times the not so obvious, areas of discrimination and oppression. They have asked for changes in divorce law (in orthodoxy only a man can initiate and obtain a divorce), inclusion in the secular leadership of Jewish communal agencies and for concrete changes in the structure of the community (from day care centers to the acceptance of single mothers and homosexuals within the Jewish community). The inviolability of the Jewish code of laws in orthodoxy prevents the possibility of women challenging a legal system created and continuously defined and redefined by males (Baskin 1985). Moreover, if women are not encouraged or given the opportunities to study the very texts from which the interpretations of those laws derive, they cannot challenge those laws in a manner that will be perceived by the community as authentic or legitimate; or to develop female leadership. Rachel Adler, a leading feminist and critic of Orthodox Judaism, describes the orthodox woman’s ritual responsibilities in the follow way:
RSPO-LGR4 functions via IQGAP1 to potentiate Wnt signaling.

R-spondins (RSPOs) and their receptor leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 4 (LGR4) play pleiotropic roles in normal and cancer development as well as the survival of adult stem cells through potentiation of Wnt signaling. Current evidence indicates that RSPO–LGR4 functions to elevate levels of Wnt receptors through direct inhibition of two membrane-bound E3 ligases (RNF43 and ZNRF3), which otherwise ubiquitinate Wnt receptors for degradation. Whether RSPO–LGR4 is coupled to intracellular signaling proteins to regulate Wnt pathways remains unknown. We identified the intracellular scaffold protein IQ motif containing GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) as an LGR4-interacting protein that mediates RSPO–LGR4’s interaction with the Wnt signalosome. IQGAP1 binds to and modulates the activities of a plethora of signaling molecules, including MAP kinases, Rho GTPases, and components of the Wnt signaling pathways. Interaction of LGR4 with IQGAP1 brings RSPO–LGR4 to the Wnt signaling complex through enhanced IQGAP1–DVL interaction following RSPO stimulation. In this configuration, RSPO–LGR4–IQGAP1 potentiates β-catenin–dependent signaling by promoting MEK1/2-medidated phosphorylation of LRP5/6 as well as β-catenin–independent signaling through regulation of actin dynamics. Overall, these findings reveal that RSPO–LGR4 not only induces the clearance of RNF43/ZNRF3 to increase Wnt receptor levels but also recruits IQGAP1 into the Wnt signaling complex, leading to potent and robust potentiation of both the canonical and noncanonical pathways of Wnt signaling.
Breakdown Characteristics of High-k Gate Dielectrics with Metal Gates

Considering the breakdown mechanisms of high-k and interfacial (IL) layers are different at higher temperatures than at room temperature, in this work the temperature dependence of stress induced leakage current (SILC) and time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) of theses layers are studied separately. As observed from the low voltage SILC, the interfacial layer initiates the gate stack breakdown process at elevated temperature which is followed by the high-κ layer. Activation energy extracted from Weibulll distribution of time-to-breakdown (TBD) data from high-k layer further suggests that the gate stack breakdown occurs when high-k layer ultimately breaks down.
Interaction between chemical and tactile cues in mayfly detection of stoneflies

SUMMARY 1 Behavioural experiments were performed in artificial stream channels to determine if nymphs of the mayfly Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) respond to (i) chemical cues from stonefly nymphs, (ii) chemical cues from disturbed conspecific mayflies, and (iii) body fluids of injured conspecifics, and (iv) whether responses to these chemical cues are different when combined with contact by foraging Acroneuria carolinensis stonefly nymphs (Plecoptera: Perlidae). 2 Although none of the chemical cues elicited changes in mayfly behaviour in the absence of predator contact, stonefly chemical cues significantly enhanced the avoidance response of mayflies to stonefly contact. Mayfly nymphs swam more frequently and crawled further in response to predator encounters when chemical cues were present than when chemical cues were absent. Thus, direct stonefly precontact chemical cues appear to sensitize P. adoptiva to the potential for an encounter with A. carolinensis, enabling stronger escape or avoidance responses upon contact. 3 Mayfly chemical cues that provide indirect information about the proximity of a predator (disturbed or injured conspecifics) did not stimulate increased mayfly response to stonefly contact. Indirect cues may provide less reliable information about the proximity of a stonefly than chemicals emitted directly from an adjacent predator. Mayflies might use chemical cues only in the presence of predator contact because of the high cost of premature escape in a running water system.
Modeling Flows in Porous Media Using Immersed Boundary Based Lattice Boltzman Method

Flows in porous media of fixed arrays of spheres have been studied numerically in the present work. The flow velocity and pressure fields are solved by the lattice Boltzmann method; the no-slip boundary condition at the solid-fluid interface is enforced by the immersed boundary method with the direct forcing scheme. This numerical method, which we call Proteus and initially was developed for simulations of particles in motion, has been extended to study flow over fixed arrays of spheres. The method is validated by comparing the simulated drag coefficient on a single sphere to the one obtained using an empirical drag law. The present method is then applied to obtain the dimensionless drag force on a sphere in both ordered face-centered cubic arrays of spheres and random arrays of spheres. Our results at low solid volume fraction for ordered arrays of spheres show good agreement with the theoretical solution of Hasimoto (1959). A correlation on the drag coefficient at solid fraction ranging from 0 to 0.66 has been derived based on our simulation results. This will help improve the modeling of particulate flows. The case of flow over random arrays of spheres at the solid fraction of 0.345 and flow Reynolds numbers up to 57 has also been studied. Our results agree well with the Ergun’s empirical correlation.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Rhythmic activity of migrating juvenile American eels Anguilla rostrata

Glass eels of the American eel Anguilla rostrata (Lesueur) utilize selective tidal stream transport, a series of semidiurnal vertical migrations in phase with the tide, to migrate up the Penobscot River estuary, Maine, U.S.A., in the spring. Glass eels, freshly collected during their migration, exhibited rhythmic activity with circatidal periodicities when tested in groups in the presence of a water current under constant conditions in the laboratory. Freshly collected groups of eels which had already completed their migration through tidal water did not exhibit circatidal activity rhythms under the same conditions. The activity rhythms of groups of eels freshly caught in tidal water appeared to be entrained by a 12.5 h cycle of water current reversals, but not by a 10.0 h cycle of current reversals. In other entrainment experiments water collected on flood and ebb tides was alternately added to the experimental tanks every 5.0 h. Under these conditions groups of eels freshly caught in tidal water did not display any rhythmic activity. Only 2 of 100 glass eels, freshly collected from tidal and non-tidal water, which were tested individually in static tanks, exhibited rhythmic activity. The activity rhythms would allow an eel to time its vertical migrations in the estuary despite varying environmental conditions.
Hydrogel Nanoparticles with Covalently Linked Coomassie Blue for Brain Tumor Delineation Visible to the Surgeon

Delineation of tumor margins is a critical and challenging objective during brain cancer surgery. A tumor-targeting deep-blue nanoparticle-based visible contrast agent is described, which, for the first time, offers in vivo tumor-specific visible color staining. This technology thus enables color-guided tumor resection in real time, with no need for extra equipment or special lighting conditions. The visual contrast agent consists of polyacrylamide nanoparticles covalently linked to Coomassie Blue molecules (for nonleachable blue color contrast), which are surface-conjugated with polyethylene glycol and F3 peptides for efficient in vivo circulation and tumor targeting, respectively.
Nuclear Shell Structure

The existence of closed shells in nuclei is indicated by the particular stability and abundance of nuclear systems with certain numbers of neutrons and of protons. An interesting correspondence exists between these numbers and the degeneracy of energy levels in the model of free particles in a simple rectangular potential well. The empirical relations suggest the addition of a central depression to the well for light nuclei ($N$ or $Z\ensuremath{\leqq}20$) and a central elevation (Elsasser's wine bottle potential) for heavy nuclei. The qualitative physical explanation of these modifications is that for light nuclei, the particle density, and thus the nuclear interaction energy, is greatest at the center of the nucleus; for heavy nuclei, the Coulomb repulsion between protons produces a particle density varying from a minimum at the center to a maximum near the boundary, and therefore a similarly varying interaction energy. In the free particle model, levels with small angular momentum and nodes within the nucleus are displaced upward by the central elevation and crossing of levels in the desired direction occurs, though not exactly as required to explain the complete empirical list of closed shell numbers. It is apparent that a single particle model of the nucleus is an insufficient approximation; however qualitative arguments based on configuration interaction enable one to formulate, with little ambiguity, a shell model in agreement with the empirical facts.
Sympathetic neurotransmitter metabolism in Hirschsprung's disease

Abstract Tyrosine hydroxylase activity was measured in high speed supernatants obtained from full thickness segments of aganglionic and ganglionic colon of three children with Hirschsprung's disease. Tyrosine hydroxylase activity expressed as pmole DOPA/mg protein/min was 0.93 ± 0.16 in ganglionic and 2.67 ± 0.21 in aganglionic colon. Tyrosine hydroxylase activity in ganglionic colon rose to 2.29 ± 0.11 following calcium stimulation (100 μM ) but could not be further increased in aganglionic colon. Addition of norepinephrine (2 × 10 −4 M ) to tissue homogenates inhibited tyrosine hydroxylase activity in ganglionic colon by 57 ± 8% but only by 14 ± 3% in aganglionic colon, suggesting that the enzyme present in aganglionic colon is insensitive to feedback inhibition by endogenous norepinephrine. The elevation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity in aganglionic colon and its insensitivity to calcium stimulation and norepinephrine inhibition is further evidence of sympathetic overactivity in the aganglionic colon and suggests a basic enzymatic abnormality in the pathogenesis of Hirschsprung's disease.
Circulant covers of trivalent circulants

Given two graphs G"1 and G"2, one may ask whether or not G"2 is a cover of G"1. Feng and Kwak [Typical circulant double coverings of a circulant graph, Discrete Math. 277 (2004) 73-85] provide a description of typical covers of a circulant graph by another circulant graph, and use other techniques to show that there are no double covers of trivalent circulant graphs. The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of all circulant covers over trivalent circulant graphs.
Experimental investigation of Rayleigh–Taylor mixing at small Atwood numbers

The self-similar evolution to turbulence of a multi-mode Rayleigh-Taylor mix at small density differences (A t ∼ 7.5 x 10 -4 ), is investigated through particle image velocimetry (PIV), and high-resolution thermocouple measurements. The density difference has been achieved through a temperature difference in the fluid. Cold fluid enters above the hot in a closed channel to form an unstable interface. This buoyancy-driven mixing experiment allows for long data collection times, short transients, and is statistically steady. First-, second-, and third-order statistics with spectra of velocity and temperature fields are presented. Analysis of the measurements has shed light on the structure of mixing as it develops to a self-similar regime in this flow. The onset of self-similarity is marked by the development of a self-preserving form of the temperature spectra, and the collapse of velocity profiles expressed in self-similar units
Silibinin mode(s) of action against hepatitis C virus: A controversy yet to be resolved†‡

Ahmed-Belkacem et al. suggested that silymarin components (such as silibinin A and silibinin B or Legalon-SIL (SIL), a commercially available intravenous (IV) preparation of silibinin) mainly inhibit HCV NS5B RNAdependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity. Here we note the HCV kinetics observed in patients treated with SIL and the HCV-RdRp inhibitor RG7128 ( and manuscript in preparation) have similarities and suggest further studies to better understand SIL’s MOAs in vivo.
Intramolecular nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions of (η 6 -arene)ruthenium complexes: preparation of substituted 2-tetralones

Abstract A stabilized enolate attached with a carbon tether to a cationic (η6-arene)RuIICp moiety was found to participate in an intramolecular SNAr reaction to deliver Ru-coordinated 1-acetyl-2-tetralone. Nucleophilic aromatic substitutions involving substituted β-dicarbonyl nucleophiles proceeded with concomitant deacetylation to afford 1-alkyl-2-tetralone derivatives. The 2-tetralone products were found to be amenable to further stereocontrolled elaboration via benzylic alkylation.
Relation between oxide thickness and the breakdown voltage of a planar junction with field relief electrode

A semitheoretical relationship has been developed between the surface breakdown of a planar junction protected by an overlaying field plate and its description in terms of resistivity and oxide thickness. This has been confirmed experimentally on p+-n diodes in 45-Ω . cm material for a wide range of oxide thicknesses.
Analysis of spectral signals emanating from vegetated and nonvegetated substrates in shallow water bodies

Depending on depth, transparency, and wavelength, the composite upwelling signals from water bodies with vegetated and non-vegetated bottoms are attributable to the water column constituents, the submerged vegetation canopy and/or the substrate. Composite spectral signals form a surrogate sandy vegetated and non-vegetated sandy bottom sat varying depths in a tank of water were analyzed to assess the impact of the substrate in the presence of clear water. Submerged vegetation at a depth of 130 cm in a tank of clear water was detectable in both the visible and NIR regions. In the case of non-vegetated sandy bottom, the maximum separability of the composite upwelling signal from bottom at varying depths was recorded in wavelength region between 600 and 700 nm. Bottom at depth greater than 50 cm did not impact the upwelling signals in wavelength range beyond 744 nm.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Robert Taft and Nuremberg: The verdict of time

On October 5, 1946, Senator Robert Taft in a speech at Kenyon College, Gambler Ohio, criticized the legal justification and the deterrence value of the just concluded first Nuremberg trial. Tap, spoke before most of the important documents from the trial had been published, including the report of the London Conference which established Nuremberg's legal framework and procedures, the official transcripts of the daily court proceedings, the volumes of documents, and later testimony by participants. This evidence consists almost entirely of arguments, and will be employed as a reference standard to judge the merits of Taft's criticism. The method used is Rowland's functional approach to evaluating arguments. The verdict is that Nuremberg was a miscarriage of justice.
Self-assembly of amphiphilic poly(phenylene ethynylene)s in water–potassium dodecanoate–decanol lyotropic liquid crystals

Poly(phenylene ethynylene)s bearing a high density of branched amphiphilic side-chains self-assemble at the air–water interface and in water–potassium dodecanoate–decanol lyotropic liquid crystals.
Financial impact of emergency hand trauma on the health care system.

Background The US has a crisis of insufficient emergency coverage for hand trauma. One of the problems is the perceived financial loss associated with caring for this population. We evaluated the financial impact of treating emergency hand trauma patients on an academic medical practice and health care system. Study Design We examined billing records for 2,632 hand patients seen in the emergency department in 2005 at the University of Michigan. Financial data were separated into inpatient professional and facility revenues and costs. Professional net revenue was calculated by applying actual collection rates to procedural charges. Facility revenue was calculated by applying actual collection rates to the following downstream charge categories: inpatient/operating room (including nursing, anesthesia, and pharmacy), clinic facility, radiology, and occupational therapy. Results The payer mix for this analysis was 60.7% private insurance, 15.3% Medicare, 4.2% uninsured, 8.3% Medicaid, and 11.5% other. The net professional revenue and total costs for physician salary, malpractice, and benefits allocated to hand patients were $698,578 and $574,880, respectively, for a net profit margin of $123,698 (18%). Net health system facility revenue and total costs were $2,420,899 and $2,389,901, respectively, for a net profit margin of $30,998 (1%). Conclusions Hand trauma at this academic medical center is fiscally advantageous for the surgical department and marginally advantageous for the health care system. Providing access to hand trauma patients may be fiscally advantageous in certain settings when the proportion of nonreimbursed care can be controlled.
Dating the productivity slowdown with a structural time-series model☆

Abstract This paper challenges the widely accepted view that the productivity slowdown began after 1973. Instead, the empirical evidence shows that the growth rate of trend productivity began to drop rapidly in the mid-1960s, and that it had fallen by more than one-third by 1970. The slowdown ended in 1980, well before the advent of the information technology revolution, and is best seen as a sequential process unfolding in historical time, not one caused by an isolated event such as the oil price shock. These findings are at variance with propositions thought self-evident by many economists. This is important, since dating a phenomenon should be the first step in accounting for its causes.
Steroids ketones in surface sediments from the south-west African shelf

STEROIDS are a class of biologically produced compounds which may serve as tracers for the transformation processes of labile organic matter in sediments. Diagenetic alteration of steroid alcohols (sterols) by geochemical and biological processes often leads to the accumulation of transformed products in the sediments. By elucidating these structures and determining their concentrations we should be able to determine their reaction mechanisms and rates of degradation. We have previously postulated that steroid ketones (stanones) are intermediates in the diagenesis of sterols to sterenes, a group of unsaturated steroids detected in some marine sediments1 (Fig. 1). We report here the isolation, identification, and geochemical significance of a series of 4-methyl stanones and their 4-desmethyl counterparts from anoxic surface sediments in an upwelling zone on the south-west Africumelf, Walvis Bay, RSA. To our knowledge, this is the first report of stanones being observed in Recent marine sediments, although 4α-methyl stanones have been reported previously as major components of the immature Messel oil shale2.
Phase Field Simulation of Ferroelectric Single Crystals

Ferroelectric materials exhibit spontaneous polarization and domain structures below the Curie temperature. In this study a cubic to tetragonal phase transformation and the evolution of domain structures in ferroelectric crystals are simulated by using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation. The effects of electric boundary conditions on the formation of domain patterns and field induced polarization switching are discussed. The phase field model is used to simulate the formation of domain structures, domain wall motion and the macroscopic response of ferroelectric materials under external fields.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Double fertilization in Ephedra trifurca , a non-flowering seed plant: The relationship between fertilization events and the cell cycle

Fertilization inEphedra trifurca was examined with a combination of light and fluorescence microscopy. Developmental analysis clearly indicates that double fertilization events, similar to those described inE. nevadensis, regularly occur during the process of sexual reproduction inE. trifurca. In addition to the typical fusion of a sperm nucleus and egg nucleus, a second fertilization event occurs between the second sperm nucleus from an individual pollen tube and the ventral canal nucleus. Both of the fertilization events take place within the confines of an individual egg cell of the female gametophyte. Microspectrofluorometric data demonstrate that each nucleus involved in a sexual fusion event proceeds through the synthesis phase of the cell cycle and increases its DNA content from 1C to 2C before the process of nuclear fusion is completed. Photometric data also confirm that the product of the second fertilization event is equal in DNA content (4C) to the zygotic nucleus derived from the first fertilization event, and is prepared to enter into mitosis as a fully functional diploid nucleus.
Saturation of two-level atoms in chaotic fields

Exact solutions are presented for the equations describing the stationary population of a two-level atom in a nonmonochromatic ideal chaotic field. The dependence of the excited-state population on the Rabi frequency, bandwidth of the field, spontaneous decay, and detuning is studied and compared with the results obtained for phase-diffusing laser light. The validity of the decorrelation approximation is also investigated.
Low-field bulk defect generation during uniform carrier injection into the gate insulator of insulated gate field effect transistors at various temperatures

Low-field electron injection of up to 1019 e/cm2 across the Si-SiO2 interface into the gate insulator of an n-channel insulated gate field effect transistor using an optically assisted hot electron injection technique was conducted from room temperature down to 100K. It was found that the room temperature data could be modeled quite accurately by attributing all of the observed ΔVt to generation of negatively charged defects whose generation follows a power law. At reduced temperatures, “structure” in the observed data indicated the presence of one shallow first order trap. In this case, a combination of a power law generation term and a single first order trap cross section was used, and is needed, to accurately model the data. It was also found that trap generation is enhanced significantly as the temperature is reduced. Threshold voltage shifts were shown by charge pumping measurements not to be associated with interface state generation under the low-field conditions employed. The results presented here indicate that even at very low applied oxide fields (1 MV/cm) hot electron injection not only results in the filling of existing traps, but also in the generation of new charged bulk defects whose generation rate increases as the temperature is reduced, or the injection current density is increased. These results also raise questions about some of the reports of small cross section trapping centers, ≤10−17 cm2, since these were typically characterized by applying a only first order trapping model to high field and/or high current density injection data. Such aggressive injection conditions could very easily have resulted in the generation of charged bulk defects which could then be erroneously identified as one or more small cross section traps.
Targeted gene therapies: tools, applications, optimization

Many devastating human diseases are caused by mutations in a single gene that prevent a somatic cell from carrying out its essential functions, or by genetic changes acquired as a result of infectious disease or in the course of cell transformation. Targeted gene therapies have emerged as potential strategies for treatment of such diseases. These therapies depend upon rare-cutting endonucleases to cleave at specific sites in or near disease genes. Targeted gene correction provides a template for homology-directed repair, enabling the cell's own repair pathways to erase the mutation and replace it with the correct sequence. Targeted gene disruption ablates the disease gene, disabling its function. Gene targeting can also promote other kinds of genome engineering, including mutation, insertion, or gene deletion. Targeted gene therapies present significant advantages compared to approaches to gene therapy that depend upon delivery of stably expressing transgenes. Recent progress has been fueled by advances in nuclease discovery and design, and by new strategies that maximize efficiency of targeting and minimize off-target damage. Future progress will build on deeper mechanistic understanding of critical factors and pathways.
Data-parallel lower-upper relaxation method for the navier-stokes equations

The lower-upper symmetric Gauss-Seidel method is modified for the simulation of viscous flows on massively parallel computers. The resulting diagonal data-parallel lower-upper relaxation (DP-LUR) method is shown to have good convergence properties on many problems. However, the convergence rate decreases on the high cell aspect ratio grids required to simulate high Reynolds number flows. Therefore, the diagonal approximation is relaxed, and a full matrix version of the DP-LUR method is derived. The full matrix method retains the data-parallel properties of the original and reduces the sensitivity of the convergence rate to the aspect ratio of the computational grid. Both methods are implemented on the Thinking Machines CM-5, and a large fraction of the peak theoretical performance of the machine is obtained. The low memory use and high parallel efficiency of the methods make them attractive for large-scale simulation of viscous flows.
Copper ionic liquids: Examining the role of the anion in determining physical and electrochemical properties

Abstract Five new copper(II)-based ionic liquids and three crystalline compounds have been synthesized in order to further understand the role of the anion in determining their physicochemical properties. Materials were prepared with combinations of three different anions (2-ethylhexanoate (EHN), tetrafluoroborate (BF4), and triflate (OTf)) and six-coordinate Cu(II) cations. The complexes that contain at least one BF4 anion consistently displayed both the highest specific conductivity and electrochemical reversibility. The presence of one OTf anion (in combination with one EHN or BF4) facilitates the formation of crystalline materials. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies were completed on two of the mixed anion compounds. The results show that both ethanolamine (EA) and diethanolamine (DEA) chelate to the Cu(II) centers in a highly distorted tetragonal geometry. The properties of the ionic liquid with the overall lowest viscosity and highest conductivity and electrochemical reversibility (Cu{NH2CH2CH2OH}6(BF4)2, 4) were studied as a function of temperature. The viscosity decreases with increasing temperature, but at 45 °C (over three hours) there is a loss of two EA ligands to form a more viscous four-coordinate complex. Cyclic voltammetry of 4 reveals a quasi-reversible Cu(II)/Cu(I) reduction wave that shifts to more positive potentials with increasing temperature.
Extracting noise-robust features from audio data

A key problem faced by audio identification, classification, and retrieval systems is the mapping of high-dimensional audio input data into informative lower-dimensional feature vectors. This paper explores an automatic dimensionality reduction algorithm called Distortion Discriminant Analysis (DDA). Each layer of DDA projects its input into directions which maximize the SNR for a given set of distortions. Multiple layers efficiently extract features over a wide temporal window. The audio input to DDA undergoes perceptually-relevant preprocessing and de-equalization, to further suppress distortions. We apply DDA to the task of identifying audio clips in an incoming audio stream, based on matching stored audio fingerprints. We show excellent test results on matching input fingerprints against 36 hours of stored audio data.
Ion Emission from Water Ice Due to Energetic Particle Bombardment

Ion emission from water ice due to energetic particle bombardment is investigated in a combined molecular dynamics and tof-SIMS experimental study. Specifically, emission of water clusters A ′ (H 2 O) n , where At denotes positive alkali metal ions, Li + , Na + , K + , Cs + or negative halogen ions, F - , Cl - , I - , from frozen ice films is investigated. In the experiments, different concentrations of NaI and KI salts were dissolved in water before freezing. The influence of ion charge and concentration is investigated. Cationic clusters eject more effectively than anionic clusters in both the simulations and experiments. Although in most cases the increase of the salt concentration results in a higher absolute ion yield, this dependence is rather complex and is discussed in terms of ion pairing and clustering in the original solution and during emission.
Why Cetuximab is Not Active in the Adjuvant Setting

Cetuximab—a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting EGFR—can extend progression-free survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. EGFR network signal perturbation likely represents the predominant mechanism of action of cetuximab, while immune effector cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity appears to be relevant as well. KRAS mutation status has proven to be an important predictive biomarker for cetuximab therapy as cetuximab is ineffective in patients with well-defined mutations. Given the success of anti-EGFR antibody therapy in metastatic disease, a recent phase 3 clinical study was devised to assess the efficacy of cetuximab in the adjuvant setting. Unexpectedly, cetuximab did not demonstrate enhanced survival when used in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy, even when KRAS status was known. Herein, we provide our hypotheses as to why cetuximab is not active in the adjuvant setting, discussing both known and potential mechanisms of resistance to anti-EGFR therapy.