cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time-dependent density functional theory applied to average atom opacity

We focus on studying the opacity of iron, chromium, and nickel plasmas at conditions relevant to experiments carried out at Sandia National Laboratories [J. E. Bailey et al., Nature (London) 517, 56 (2015)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/nature14048]. We calculate the photoabsorption cross sections and subsequent opacity for plasmas using linear-response time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). Our results indicate that the physics of channel mixing accounted for in linear-response TD-DFT leads to an increase in the opacity in the bound-free quasicontinuum, where the Sandia experiments indicate that models underpredict iron opacity. However, the increase seen in our calculations is only in the range of 5%-10%. Further, we do not see any change in this trend for chromium and nickel. This behavior indicates that channel mixing effects do not explain the trends in opacity observed in the Sandia experiments.
A Lagrangian/semi-Lagrangian coupling approach for accelerated meshfree modelling of extreme deformation problems

Abstract In the reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM), the approximation is achieved through construction of shape functions in the physical domain and the interaction of neighbouring nodes. When modelling large deformation problems, Lagrangian and semi-Lagrangian formulations have been proposed, where the RK functions are evaluated in the reference initial coordinates and in the current configuration, respectively. The Lagrangian RKPM breaks down when the mapping between current and reference configuration is not one-to-one and the deformation gradient is not invertible, such as in modelling high velocity impact and penetration processes. On the other hand, the semi-Lagrangian RKPM formulation with RK functions evaluated in the current configuration eliminates the requirement on the deformation mapping but results in a high computational cost. In order to retain the advantages of both formulations, a blending-based spatial coupling scheme is proposed to allow transition from the Lagrangian to the semi-Lagrangian RKPM meshfree formulation. Spatial consistency and temporal stability of the proposed coupling approach are analysed. The analysis results show that the critical time step of the coupled formulation is larger than the worst case between the pure Lagrangian and pure semi-Lagrangian RK cases. Moreover, an algorithm to update three-dimensional semi-Lagrangian kernel supports and smoothing cells is introduced to enhance the solution accuracy of the semi-Lagrangian portion of the proposed coupling scheme. The proposed update algorithm avoids the numerical issues of either insufficient support coverage or loss of locality associated with the conventional pure semi-Lagrangian formulation under large deformations. The performance of the proposed Lagrangian/semi-Lagrangian coupling approach is verified through a suite of benchmark problems, including extreme deformation problems.
The composite pardo of seventeenth-century Lima: blackness, whiteness, and Creole self-fashioning in the earliest portraits of Martín de Porres

Saint Martin de Porres was born in late sixteenth-century Lima to a formerly enslaved and unmarried black mother and a Spanish father.1 When Martin died at the age of 59 in 1639, he left behind a l...
Predictive factors for fertility preservation in pediatric and adolescent girls with planned gonadotoxic treatment

To characterize female pediatric and adolescent patients seen for fertility preservation consultation at an academic medical center and to describe the association between demographic or clinical factors and the use of fertility preservation treatment (FPT). This is a retrospective chart analysis of female pediatric and adolescent patients seen for fertility preservation consultation at an academic fertility center over a 14-year period from 2005 to 2019. One hundred six females aged 3–21 years were seen for fertility preservation consultation with a mean age of 16.6 years. Diagnoses included hematologic malignancies (41.5%), gynecologic malignancies (9.4%), other malignancies (31.1%), non-malignant hematologic disease (14.2%), and non-malignant conditions (3.8%). Overall, 64.2% of subjects pursued fertility preservation, including oocyte cryopreservation (35.8%) and ovarian tissue cryopreservation (23.6%). Overall, age, minority race, diagnosis, time since diagnosis, and median household income were not significantly associated with odds of completing an FPT procedure. Among all patients, those who underwent gonadotoxic therapy prior to consultation had a lower odds of receiving FPT (OR= 0.24, 95% CI 0.10–0.55). Among patients without chemotherapy exposure, no factors were associated with FPT. Among pediatric and adolescent patients at an academic center undergoing a fertility preservation consultation, there were no socioeconomic or clinical barriers to FPT use in those who had not yet undergone gonadotoxic therapy. The only factor that was negatively associated with odds of pursuing FPT was prior chemotherapy exposure.
Data Portability: a Necessary Right for Users and Competitors of Digital Platforms

This paper discusses the infrastructure and the market for digital platforms in light of the importance of data portability. The study also presents the positive effects to competition when the user is free to port their data from one platform to another competing platform. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the international panorama of Google Adwords case regarding this subject over European Union, United States and Brazil jurisdictions and the perspectives for data portability to be widely implemented in the digital scenario.
Abstract P217: Imbalance Of M1/M2 Macrophages In Ovaries Of Hypertensive Mice Is Associated With Reproductive Dysfunction And Lymphangiogenesis

Macrophages are the principal immune cells in ovaries. Besides protecting against invading pathogens and antigens, macrophages also play an essential role in folliculogenesis, ovulation, luteinizat...
Common Information based Approximate State Representations in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning.

Due to information asymmetry, finding optimal policies for Decentralized Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (Dec-POMDPs) is hard with the complexity growing doubly exponentially in the horizon length. The challenge increases greatly in the multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) setting where the transition probabilities, observation kernel, and reward function are unknown. Here, we develop a general compression framework with approximate common and private state representations, based on which decentralized policies can be constructed. We derive the optimality gap of executing dynamic programming (DP) with the approximate states in terms of the approximation error parameters and the remaining time steps. When the compression is exact (no error), the resulting DP is equivalent to the one in existing work. Our general framework generalizes a number of methods proposed in the literature. The results shed light on designing practically useful deep-MARL network structures under the "centralized learning distributed execution" scheme.
Examining Latino Support for Descriptive Representation: The Role of Identity and Discrimination

Objectives To determine the role of linked fate, cultural factors, and experiences with discrimination on support for descriptive representation among Latinos. Methods Utilizing data from the Latino National Survey (2006) and ordered logistic regression this article analyzes the impact of Latino-linked fate, cultural factors, and personal and group experiences with discrimination on desire for Latino representation. Results A higher sense of attachment to Latino-linked fate and Spanish results in a greater desire for Latino representatives. Similarly, Latinos who believed Latinos suffered from group discrimination were in greater support of Latino representatives. Conclusions By examining descriptive representation from the perspective of how Latinos feel, this investigation improves our understanding of how attachment to a linked fate, language, and experiences with discrimination work to influence support for Latino representatives.
Computational bounds on hierarchical data processing with applications to information security

We introduce hierarchical data processing (HDP) problems, a class of computations over a collection of values associated with a set of n elements, based on a directed acyclic graph (DAG). We present an Ω(log n) lower bound on various computational cost measures for HDP problems and we develop an efficient randomized DAG scheme for HDP problems. We apply our results to data authentication through cryptographic hashing and multicast key distribution using key-graphs. We show that both problems involve HDP and prove logarithmic lower bounds on their computational and communication costs. Using our new DAG scheme, we present a new efficient authenticated dictionary and a new skip-list version with expected search complexity 1.25 log2n + O(1).
Counterfeiters: Foes or Friends

This paper combines a natural policy experiment and randomized lab experiments to estimate the differential impacts of counterfeiting on the sales and purchase intent of branded products of various quality levels. I collect new product-line level panel data from Chinese shoe companies from 1993-2004. Exploiting the discontinuity of government enforcement efforts for the footwear sector in 1995 and the differences in authentic companies' relationships with the government, I identify heterogeneous effects of counterfeit entry on sales of authentic products of three quality levels. In particular, counterfeits have both advertising effects for the brand and substitution effects for authentic products. The advertising effect dominates substitution effect for high-end authentic product sales, and the substitution effect outweighs advertising effect for low-end product sales. I build a theoretical model with multi-product producers to generalize such impacts due to counterfeits. The aforementioned heterogeneous effects of counterfeits on branded products are also discovered in lab experiments where the presence of counterfeits is randomly assigned to a subsample of respondents. Responses allude to the fact that counterfeits can increase brand awareness and affinity, as well as substitute for lower-end shoes.
Using datalog with binary decision diagrams for program analysis

Many problems in program analysis can be expressed naturally and concisely in a declarative language like Datalog. This makes it easy to specify new analyses or extend or compose existing analyses. However, previous implementations of declarative languages perform poorly compared with traditional implementations. This paper describes bddbddb, a BDD-Based Deductive DataBase, which implements the declarative language Datalog with stratified negation, totally-ordered finite domains and comparison operators. bddbddb uses binary decision diagrams (BDDs) to efficiently represent large relations. BDD operations take time proportional to the size of the data structure, not the number of tuples in a relation, which leads to fast execution times. bddbddb is an effective tool for implementing a large class of program analyses. We show that a context-insensitive points-to analysis implemented with bddbddb is about twice as fast as a carefully hand-tuned version. The use of BDDs also allows us to solve heretofore unsolved problems, like context-sensitive pointer analysis for large programs.
Multiple camera fusion for multi-object tracking

We propose a distributed, real-time computing platform for tracking multiple interacting persons in motion. To overcome occlusion and articulated motion we use a multi-view implementation, where 2-D semantic features are independently tracked in each view and then collectively integrated using a Bayesian belief network with a topology that varies as a function of scene content and feature confidence. The network fuses observations from multiple cameras by resolving independency relationships and confidence levels within the graph, thereby producing the most likely vector of 3-D state estimates given the available data. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed system using a multi-view sequence of several people in motion. Our experiments suggest that, when compared with data fusion based on averaging, the proposed technique yields a noticeable improvement in tracking accuracy.
Resistance of the [Re2(μ-dppm)2]4+ Core (dppm = Ph2PCH2PPh2) to Cleavage by π-Acceptor Ligands. Novel Isomers of the [Re2Cl2(μ-dppm)2(CO)(CNxyl)3]2+ Cation1

The triply bonded dirhenium(II) complexes (XylNC)Cl2Re(μ-dppm)2ReCl2(CO) (2) and [(XylNC)2ClRe(μ-dppm)2ReCl2(CO)]O3SCF3 (3) (Xyl = 2,6-dimethylphenyl; dppm = Ph2PCH2PPh2), which possess closely related, open bioctahedral structures, react with 2 and 1 equiv, respectively, of an equimolar mixture of TlO3SCF3 and XylNC to produce 4 and 5, respectively, which are structural isomers of the complex [Re2Cl2(μ-dppm)2(CO)(CNXyl)3](O3SCF3)2. These isomers, which do not interconvert, retain a Re−Re multiple bond and are the first of their kind with a set of four π-acceptor ligands.
Structure of the A Site of Escherichia coli 16S Ribosomal RNA Complexed with an Aminoglycoside Antibiotic

Aminoglycoside antibiotics that bind to 30S ribosomal A-site RNA cause misreading of the genetic code and inhibit translocation. The aminoglycoside antibiotic paromomycin binds specifically to an RNA oligonucleotide that contains the 30S subunit A site, and the solution structure of the RNA-paromomycin complex was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The antibiotic binds in the major groove of the model A-site RNA within a pocket created by an A-A base pair and a single bulged adenine. Specific interactions occur between aminoglycoside chemical groups important for antibiotic activity and conserved nucleotides in the RNA. The structure explains binding of diverse aminoglycosides to the ribosome, their specific activity against prokaryotic organisms, and various resistance mechanisms, and provides insight into ribosome function.
A study of artifact creation and use in collaborative object-oriented software design

Many tools for object-oriented software design focus on assisting individuals in creating UML models for documentation and implementation purposes. Since software design is a highly collaborative activity, one must ask whether the requirements for facilitating collaborative design are similar.We report on a study of design teams, focusing on their use of notations and artifacts. Our findings highlight the unique characteristic of the use of UML in these settings and emphasize the importance of context and relations between artifacts over the details of specific artifacts.
Rossby Wave Radiation in the Cape Verde Frontal Zone

Abstract Radiating baroclinic Rossby waves excited through instability of the Cape Verde frontal zone are proposed as a mechanism for the generation of mesoscale variability at middepth (1000 m) in the southeastern North Atlantic basin. Linear quasigeostrophic theory is applied to an idealized front representative of the Cape Verde frontal zone to demonstrate that the front is unstable to modes that may radiate away from the frontal region as baroclinic Rossby waves. Evidence for the existence of these waves is obtained from an eddy-resolving, basin-scale general circulation primitive equation model. In addition, the model fields are used to identify characteristic signature of the waves in terms of quantities that may be directly observed in the ocean. Lagrangian trajectories, Reynolds stress, eddy kinetic energy, and frequency spectra taken from SOFAR float and current-meter records are all in good agreement with the amplitude and distribution implied by the wave radiation in both the linear theory and ...
Making sense of gene-expression data

Large-scale gene-expression analysis aims to increase the depth of diagnostic and drug-effect profiling, and to accelerate the discovery of key biological processes for therapeutic targeting. Success hinges on the precision and scope of the measurements, and on the integration of computational tools for data mining, visualization and modeling. The ultimate objective is to discover key molecular connections in a disease process by reverse engineering signaling networks from their activity profiles.
The Politics of Belonging: Interest Group Identity and Agenda Setting on Immigration

This article explores how interest groups decide policy positions through case studies of three organizations’ shifting stances on the issue of immigration. In all three cases, the AFL-CIO, the Sie...
Application of Approximate I/O Linearization to Aircraft Flight Control

This paper examines the performance enhancement of a statically unstable aircraft subject to the input and state constraints. Under control saturation, i/o linearizability is destroyed and the state trajectories may not be attracted to the sliding surface. If the reference signals are sufficiently large and the zero-dynamics is lightly damped, the i/o linearizing control may become unreasonably large in magnitude, making the closed-loop system susceptible to the damaging effects of control saturation. In addition to performance degradations such as increased tracking errors, control saturation can drive the closed-loop system to instability. In this paper, a new design method called approximate i/o linearization is presented to enhance the performance of the SISO longitudinal flight control problem under saturation. The new approximate i/o linearization law is obtained by solving a pointwise minimization problem. The function to be minimized consists of a surface whose relative degree is one, its derivative, and weighted square of the input u. The advantages of the approximate i/o linearization is that the adverse effects of control saturation can be minimized by properly selecting the weight on the usage of the control. The only requirement for the new technique is that the original plant be locally i/o linearizable. Thus approximate i/o linearization does not impose additional strict requirements on the plant. In the remaining sections of the paper, stability and bounded tracking properties of the approximate i/o linearization are proven. Finally, a longitudinal flight control problem is used to demonstrate the application of approximate i/o linearization.
Monomerization of Cytosolic Mature Smac Attenuates Interaction with IAPs and Potentiation of Caspase Activation

The four residues at the amino-terminus of mature Smac/DIABLO are an IAP binding motif (IBM). Upon exit from mitochondria, mature Smac interacts with inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), abrogating caspase inhibition. We used the ubiquitin fusion model to express mature Smac in the cytosol. Transiently expressed mature Smac56-239 (called Smac56) and Smac60-239 (called Smac60), which lacks the IBM, interacted with X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). However, stable expression produced wild type Smac56 that failed to homodimerize, interact with XIAP, and potentiate caspase activation. Cytosolic Smac60 retained these functions. Cytosolic Smac56 apparently becomes posttranslationally modified at the dimer interface region, which obliterated the epitope for a monoclonal antibody. Cytosolic Smacδ, which has the IBM but lacks amino acids 62-105, homodimerized and weakly interacted with XIAP, but failed to potentiate apoptosis. These findings suggest that the IBM of Smac is a recognition point for a posttranslational modification(s) that blocks homodimerization and IAP interaction, and that amino acids 62-105 are required for the proapoptotic function of Smac.
Two Color Interferences and Quantum Phase Shifts in Above Threshold Ionization

The two color (ω + 2ω) above threshold ionization spectrum of argon is measured at different intensity ratios and relative optical phase. We observe quantum phase shifts between interfering ionization pathways, indicating electron dispersion in strong-field ionization.
Simulation of a Traveling Repairman Problem

When a system with many stations at widespread physical locations has to be maintained, there arises a question regarding the policies the repair crew should use in determining the station to repair next. This problem is known as "the traveling repairman problem." Although this paper discusses a simulation model that is being used to formulate the traveling repairman's policies for a specific system, the aspect of interest is the unconventional manner in which General Purpose Simulation System (GPSS) is used. The system has been modeled not by simulating the physical events or devices but rather by simulating conceptual paperwork. Failure notices and the log of the repair vehicle's positions are the elements that are modeled rather than observation stations or the repair vehicle itself.
The Georgia Centenarian Study: comments from friends.

This paper discusses five issues related to the Georgia Centenarian Study: recruitment of centenarians, birth cohort effects, the changing age structure of the population, religion, and cognition and survival.
Modeling and simulation of torpedo acoustic homing trajectory with multiple targets

The characteristics of a torpedo's acoustic homing trajectory with multiple targets were studied. The differential equations of torpedo motion were presented based on hydrodynamics. The Fourth order Runge-Kutta method was used to solve these equations. Derived from sonar equations and Snell’s law, a simple virtual underwater acoustic environment was established for simulating the torpedo homing process. The Newton iteration method was used to calculate homing range and ray tracing was approximated by piecewise line, which takes into consideration distortions cause by temperature, pressure, and salinity in a given sea area. The influence of some acoustic warfare equipment disturb the torpedo homing process in certain circumstances, including decoys and jammers, was alsotaken into account in simulations. Relative target identification logic and homing control laws were presented. Equal consideration during research was given to the requirements of real-timeactivity as well as accuracy. Finally, a practical torpedo homing trajectory simulation program was developed and applied to certain projects.
FACTOR MIGRATION AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION IN SOME DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

A three factor two sector general equilibrium model is used to determine long run income distributional impacts of factor supply changes associated with international migration in developing and newly industrializing countries. Factor intensity rankings among three factors (capital skilled and unskilled labor) between two industries (agriculture and manufacturing-services) play a critical role in determining which factors are natural friends with respect to migration. A result common to all countries is observed friendship between capital and unskilled labor: reducing (increasing) the supply of one will lower (raise) payments to the other. (EXCERPT)
Effects of composite processing on the strength of sapphire fiber-reinforced composites

Abstract The current interest in tough, high-temperature materials has motivated fiber coating development for sapphire fiber-reinforced alumina composites. For this system, it has been demonstrated that the interfacial properties can be controlled with coatings which can be eliminated from the interface subsequent to composite consilidation. However, these fugitive coatings can contribute to the high temperature strength degradation of sapphire fibers. Such degredation,which compromises the composite strength and toughness, is the focus of the current investigation. It has been observed that, in some cases, by selecting appropriate composite processing conditions, such effects can be minimized. But overcoming fiber strength loss remains an important issue.
Water ingestion during water recreation

Quantitative risk assessments have estimated health risks of water recreation. One input to risk assessment models is the rate of water ingestion. One published study estimated rates of water ingestion during swimming, but estimates of water ingestion are not available for common limited contact water recreation activities such as canoeing, fishing, kayaking, motor boating, and rowing. In the summer of 2009 two related studies were conducted to estimate water ingestion during these activities. First, at Chicago area surface waters, survey research methods were utilized to characterize self-reported estimates of water ingestion during canoeing, kayaking, and fishing among 2705 people. Second, at outdoor swimming pools, survey research methods and the analysis of cyanuric acid, a tracer of swimming pool water, were used to characterize water ingestion among 662 people who engaged in a variety of full-contact and limited-contact recreational activities. Data from the swimming study was used to derive translation factors that quantify the volume of self-reported estimates. At surface waters, less than 2% of canoers and kayakers reported swallowing a teaspoon or more and 0.5% reported swallowing a mouthful or more. Swimmers in a pool were about 25-50 times more likely to report swallowing a teaspoon of water compared to those who participate in limited-contact recreational activities on surface waters. Mean and upper confidence estimates of water ingestion during limited-contact recreation on surface waters are about 3-4 mL and 10-15 mL, respectively. These estimates of water ingestion rates may be useful in modeling the health risks of water recreation.
Neuronal nicotinic receptors as targets for novel analgesics.

The potential use of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists has been the subject of a number of recent reviews. Despite the promises of better things to come, few new compounds have been identified that circumvent the issues hindering the widespread use of the previously described nicotinic analgesics, mainly a narrow therapeutic window between analgesic efficacy and toxicity, and a lack of knowledge of native nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression. However, several recent developments have potentially opened new windows of opportunity in the use of nicotinic agents for analgesia. A small number of laboratories have reported that peripheral nerve injury alters the pharmacology of nicotinic receptors, resulting in a leftward shift of analgesic potency but not of toxicity. Another important development in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain is the reliance of nerve injury-induced behavioural hypersensitivity on both peripheral and central neural immune interactions. Finally, the reported neuropr...
Nonlinear optical characterization of aromatic amino acids at the air/water interface: intrinsic probes of protein ordering on surfaces

The nonlinear optical properties of the aromatic amino acid residues naturally found in proteins are studied using resonantly enhanced second harmonic generation (SHG) in reflection from the air/water interface. In order to evaluate their potential utility as nonlinear optical probes of peptide and protein organization, tryptophan (Trp), tyrosine, and phenylalanine have been adsorbed from solution to the air/water interface in a model study. The dependence of the theoretically determined tilt angle of the resonantly enhanced 1A->1La transition dipole moment of Trp with respect to the surface normal on the assumed refractive indices of the monolayer is inferred from a SHG nulling measurement. Orientational information cannot be meaningfully deduced for tyrosine or phenylalanine as several transitions are resonantly enhanced for these residues in the near UV. The phases of the second harmonic signals from the surface adsorbed residues in comparison to the reference signal from water are also determined.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Angiotensin II, Transforming Growth Factor-β1and Repair in the Infarcted Heart

Tissue repair following myocardial infarction (MI) eventuates in fibrous tissue formation at the site of myocyte necrosis. Following a large transmural MI, fibrosis appears remote to the infarct site. This is associated with extensive tissue remodeling that adversely affects ventricular diastolic function. Substances involved in promoting fibrous tissue formation at MI and remote sites are under investigation. Angiotensin II (AngII), generated at sites of repair, has been implicated. However, its regulatory role on fibrous tissue formation remains uncertain. In the present study we sought to determine whether AngII is correlated to transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1) expression, a regulator of fibrous tissue formation, at these sites of tissue repair. We studied: (1) localization and expression of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), AngII receptors, TGF-beta1 mRNA and its receptors in the infarcted rat heart; and (2) effect of AngII on TGF-beta1 synthesis by chronic blockade of AT1 receptors began at the time of surgery by losartan in rats with MI. Hearts were studied at 4 weeks post-MI. We found: (1) low-density ACE, AngII and TGF-beta1 receptor binding and low mRNA for type I collagen and TGF-beta1 in the normal heart; (2) fibrosis at sites of MI and remote to it, including endocardium and fibrosis of intraventricular septum, interstitial fibrosis of non-infarcted myocardium and fibrosis of visceral pericardium; (3) markedly increased (P<0.01) and colocalized ACE, AngII and TGF-beta1 receptor binding, type I collagen and TGF-beta1 mRNA at MI and remote sites of repair; (4) increased TGF-beta1 concentration (P<0. 01) at these sites; and (5) attenuated TGF-beta1 and type I collagen gene expression (P<0.01) at these sites in rats receiving losartan. These observations suggest locally generated AngII via ATi receptor binding is correlated to TGF-beta1 expression and synthesis at sites of repair and remote sites in the infarcted rat heart. The mechanism responsible for the role of AngII in TGF-beta1 remains to be elucidated.
Characterization of Isolates of Phytophthora infestans from Tomato and Potato in North Carolina from 1993 to 1995

Fraser, D. E., Shoemaker, P. B., and Ristaino, J. B. 1999. Characterization of isolates of Phytophthora infestans from tomato and potato in North Carolina from 1993 to 1995. Plant Dis. 83: 633-638. Eighty-five isolates of Phytophthora infestans from 33 tomato and 8 potato fields in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee were collected from 1993 to 1995 and tested for mating type, sensitivity to metalaxyl, and allozyme genotype at glucose-6- phosphate isomerase (Gpi) and peptidase (Pep) loci. One isolate collected from potato in eastern North Carolina in 1994 was the A1 mating type, whereas all other isolates from potato and tomato were the A2 mating type. Six isolates were sensitive to metalaxyl ( 40% growth at 1.0 μg of metalaxyl per ml and 40% growth at 1.0 and 100 μg of metalaxyl per ml). Four different allozyme genotypes at the Gpi and Pep loci were identified. The single A1 isolate found on potato in eastern North Carolina had the dilocus allozyme genotype Gpi 86/100, Pep 92/100 and was identified as the US-1 genotype. Fifty-five isolates had the dilocus allozyme genotype Gpi 100/111, Pep 100/100 and were classified as the US-7 genotype, whereas twenty-four isolates were Gpi 100/111/122, Pep 100/100 and were classified as the US-8 genotype. Two isolates that were sens itive to metalaxyl and seventeen isolates that were intermediate in sensitivity to metalaxyl were f ound among the US-7 and US-8 genotypes. In addition, five isolates had the allozyme genotype Gpi 100/100, Pep 92/100 (similar to the previously reported US-6 genotype), but they were the A2 mating type and either sensitive or intermediate in res ponse to metalaxyl. These isolates composed a new genotype not previously reported in the United States and were designated as US-18. The US-7 genotype was more frequent on tomato in western North Carolina and the US-8 genotype was present on potato in eastern North Carolina, indicating that different inoculum sources are responsible for epidemics on the two crops in different regions of the state.
Cocaine-induced oxidative stress precedes cell death in human neuronal progenitor cells

By 2003, an estimated 34 million Americans had used cocaine according to the National Survey on Drug Use & Health. About 5.9 million of those had used in the past 12 months. Chronic cocaine users often develop addiction, dependency and tolerance to the drug. The psychological and physical effects of cocaine are due to the disruption of the limbic system in the central nervous system (CNS). Increased oxidative stress reported in the frontal cortex and the striatum of rats exposed to cocaine suggests that oxidative damage plays a significant role in cocaine-induced disruption of the CNS. Although it is evident that cocaine induces oxidative stress in the CNS, little has been learned about whether such increased oxidative stress is also relevant to apoptosis in cocaine-exposed models. To gain insight into the role of cocaine-induced oxidative stress in apoptosis, we hypothesized that oxidative stress precedes cell death when cocaine is administrated. To test this hypothesis, we have monitored the oxidative stress and apoptotic effects of acute cocaine exposure in human neuronal progenitor cells (HNPC). We found that oxidative stress was significantly increased at 48 h after a 30 min cocaine exposure compared to control cells, and that this was followed by cell death at 72 h. Using the same experimental paradigm we have previously shown that pro-inflammatory genes are up-regulated in cocaine-exposed HNPC at 24 h. Therefore, we suggest that the increased oxidative stress (possibly mediated by inflammatory responses) precedes cell death in cocaine-exposed HNPC. This may have implications for the consequences of cocaine abuse in situations where antioxidant capacity is compromised, as in the aging brain.
On the flame spreading over a polymer surface

The characteristics of flame propagation along the interface between a solid fuel and a gaseous oxidizer are considered. It is found that difficulties in a study of this problem are related to the eigenvalue character of the relative velocity of the flame with respect to the oxidizer flow. In the proposed model of flame spreading the difficulties are overcome by retaining the ellipticity of the governing equations and by taking the surface pyrolysis into account. The solution procedure makes use of a sink-source approach and the Fourier-transform method. Flame propagation velocity data computed on the basis of the described approach are compared with experimental results.
Predation on jellyfish and their associates by seabirds

Scyphozoan jellyfish are preyed on by 11 species of birds in the Bering Sea: Fulmarus glacialis, Puffinus griseus, Puffinus tenuirostris, Oceanodroma furcata, Larus hyperboreus, Rissa tridactyla, Rissa brevirostris, Uria aalge, Uria lomvia, Cyclorrhynchus psittacula, and Aethia cristatella. Parasitic amphipods on scyphomedusae also contribute to avian diets.
THE IMPACT OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ON THE TIMING AND INCIDENCE OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION FOR ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Prior research has shown a transient increase in the incidence of acute mycoardial infarction (AMI) after daylight savings time (DST) in the spring as well as a decrease in AMI after returning to standard time in the fall. These findings have not been verified in a broader population of the United
Debiasing of Pessimistic Judgments Associated with Anxiety

This study tested the Consider-An-Alternative debiasing procedure and its ability to reduce pessimistic judgmental predictions associated with anxiety. Study participants were randomly assigned to either a control group or a debiasing group and were asked to rate the likelihood of hypothetical events. Level of trait anxiety was assessed to assign participants to a “normal” and a highly anxious group. The results showed that the debiasing procedure was effective in the reduction of pessimistic judgmental predictions for participants with both high and “normal” levels of trait anxiety. Specifically, the generation of alternative positive information significantly reduced pessimistic predictions of future events. The results were discussed in terms of availability of information in memory and cognitive biases.
Spontaneous Lorentz violation, negative energy, and the second law of thermodynamics

We reconsider the possibility of violating the generalized second law of thermodynamics in theories with spontaneous Lorentz violation. It has been proposed that this may be accomplished in particular with a black hole immersed in a ghost condensate background, which may be taken to break Lorentz invariance without appreciably distorting the space-time geometry. In this paper we show that there in fact exist solutions explicitly describing the flow of negative energy into these black holes, allowing for violation of the second law in a very simple way. This second law violation is independent of any additional assumptions such as couplings of the ghost condensate to secondary fields, and suggests that violation of the null energy condition may be the true source of pathology in these theories.
Asthma therapy with aerosols: clinical relevance for the next decade.

ABSTRACT Inhaled therapy is the mainstay of modern asthma management, as this optimizes the therapeutic ratio. Short-acting β2-agonists are the most effective bronchodilators and when given by inhalation give rapid relief of symptoms, without adverse effects, although there are concerns about overuse of these drugs. Inhaled long-acting β2-agonists are useful in some patients. Inhaled anticholinergics are particularly useful in patients with COPD and in the future long-acting drugs, such as tiotropium bromide, will be available. Inhaled glucocorticoids are the most effective therapy in controlling chronic asthma symptoms, and systemic effects are not a problem in the vast majority of patients. Improved inhalation devices and steroids with reduced oral bioavailability have resulted in reduced systemic side effects, which now arise largely from absorption from the lungs. In the future it is likely that new classes of drug will be developed, but whether they will be used by inhalation or given by mouth will d...
Technical considerations for optimal orthopedic imaging

Over the past 25 years bone scintigraphy has played an essential role in most Nuclear Medicine departments, accounting for 25% to 60% of the patient volumes. No longer is every bone scan ordered as part of a metastatic workup. Today radionuclide bone imaging (RNBI) is included in most orthopedic diagnostic pathways. It is necessary to optimize the bone scan procedure to be sensitive, to carefully localize abnormal uptake for diagnosis, to correlate the bone scans, plain radiographs, computed tomographic (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance (MR) scans that accompany the patient, and to be precise in reporting a final impression. This can be done through meticulous attention to the image acquisition so that it encompasses not only equipment specifications and acquisition parameters, but also patient history, preparation, imaging protocols, positioning, and image correlation. The importance of these considerations, the rationale to explain them, and suggested guidelines for their implementation will be discussed in this article.
Electron arc therapy: physical measurement and treatment planning techniques.

Abstract An electron beam arc therapy technique has been developed for the treatment of the post-mastectomy chest wall using a clinical linear accelerator modified for are therapy. The effects on the dose distribution of primary X ray collimators, secondary cerrobend blocks attached to the accelerator accessory tray, and tertiary cerrobend casting of the treatment area on the patient's thorax have been investigated. Multiple electron energies within the same arc, variable rad per degree, and variable shaped secondary and tertiary applicators have been employed to optimize dose uniformity across the treated surface. A computerized treatment planning program has been developed to aid in visualization and optimization of dose distributions. A simple technique to estimate the width variation in the secondary collimator necessary to compensate for radial patient thickness changes in the cephalocaudad direction is described. Electron beam energies of 6 MeV, 9 MeV, 12 MeV, 15 MeV, and 18 MeV have been studied. The physical measurements needed to implement this technique are described, and a comparison of electron are therapy dose distributions with other standard treatment techniques is presented.
The Influence of Cassiodorus on Mediaeval Culture

FRANZ. A. M. Frang, Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (Breslau, 1872). HOWELL. W. S. Howell, The Rhetoric of Alcuin and Charlemagne (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1941). LEHMANN. P. Lehmann, 'Cassiodorstudien,' Philologus, ixxi (1912), 278-299; LxXII (1913), 503-517; LXxiii (1914), 253-278; LxxiV (1917), 351-883. MANITIUS. M. Manitius, Geschichte der lateinischen Literatur des Mittelalters, I (Munich, 1911), 36-52.
Effect of Recombinant Human Insulin-like Growth Factor I and Early Total Parenteral Nutrition on Immune Depression Following Severe Head Injury

Objective: To determine the effects of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and aggressive nutrition on CD4/CD8 ratios following head injury. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: An urban level 1 trauma center. Participants: Head-injured patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 4 to 10 within 6 hours of hospital admission requiring no major extracranial surgery with the exception of isolated lower-extremity fracture fixation. Fourteen patients were recruited and 11 completed the study. Interventions: Patients were randomized to a continuous infusion of saline or 0.01 mg/kg per hour of recombinant human (rh) IGF-I. Both groups received parenteral nutrition and rapidly advanced to a total protein intake of 2 g/kg per day and a maximum nonprotein calorie intake of 40 kcal/kg per day. The nonprotein prescription was 1.25 times the metabolic energy expenditure determined by metabolic cart not to exceed a nonprotein calorie intake of 40/kcal. Main Outcome Measures: The CD4/CD8 ratios and serum IGF-I levels on days 1, 7, and 14. Results: Administration of early aggressive nutrition eliminated the depressed CD4/CD8 ratio usually seen after head injury; administration of IGF-I increased the CD4/CD8 ratio while IGF-I levels were elevated. Conclusions: Infusion of rhIGF-I and aggressive early intravenous nutrition affects the immunologic response of patients with severe head injury. (Arch Surg. 1994;129:66-71)
Cadmium-zinc telluride detector arrays for synchrotron radiation applications

We have begun a program to develop CZT-based detectors optimized for Synchrotron Radiation (SR) applications. SR provides high brightness beams of hard x-rays, typically in the range 5-100keV. Below 10keV, Peltier-cooled silicon detector arrays can provide high throughput with good spectroscopic resolution. At higher energies, only cryo-cooled germanium detectors or scintillation counters are available. Neither are easily available in large arrays, and scintillation counters lack energy resolution. CZT offers a solution to both these problems. Our development has focused on surface preparation and contact definition technologies which minimize device leakage currents while allowing high-definition contact patterns suitable for SR applications. We have used SR also for diagnostic purposes in these developments, both for detector testing and material characterization. X-ray diffraction, Infrared microscopy and photoemission are all relevant SR-based tools which we are using in our work. As an example, we have observed that bromine remains attached to the CZT surface after chemical etching, and is remarkably persistent in the face of surface cleaning and argon ion sputtering, as revealed by photoemission spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy.
Tying Hands Behind Closed Doors: The Logic and Practice of Secret Reassurance

Private diplomacy and secret agreements among adversaries are major features of international relations. Sometimes secret reassurance has resulted in cooperation and even peace between longtime adversaries. Yet rationalist theories consider private diplomatic communication as cheap talk. How do we explain this gap between theoretical expectations and the empirical record? I offer a theory that explains how, why, and when a leader may convince an enemy that his private reassurances are credible even when they are not costly to undertake. I also account for the conditions under which recipients of such reassurance infer the leader's benign intentions from these secret interactions. I claim that leaders engage in secret reassurance with the enemy when they face significant domestic opposition. The adversary can leverage the initiator's domestic vulnerability by revealing the secret reassurance, thereby imposing domestic punishment on the initiator. Further, by entering into private or secret negotiations and...
Separate promoters direct expression of phoAIII, a member of the Bacillus subtilis alkaline phosphatase multigene family, during phosphate starvation and sporulation.

Summary Alkaline phosphatase (APase) expression can be induced in Bacillus subtilis by phosphate starvation or by sporulation. We have recently shown that there are multiple APase structural genes contributing to the total alkaline phosphatase expression in B. subtilis. The expression of the alkaline phosphatase III gene (phoAIII) was analysed under both phosphate-starvation induction and sporulation induction conditions. phoAIII is transcribed from two promoter regions, Pv and Ps The Pv promoter initiated transcription 37 bp before the translation initiation codon and was used to transcribe phoAIII during phosphate-starvation induction in vegetative cells. The Ps promoter initiated transcription 119 bp before the translation initiation codon and was used during sporulation induction. Genes which have previously been shown to affect total vegetative APase, pho regulon genes phoP, phoR and phoS, affected expression of phoAIII during phosphate starvation. Genes known to affect expression of total sporulation APase, i.e. spoIIE, spoIIG and spoIIE, affected phoAIII expression during sporulation induction. Our data show that one member of the APase multigene family, phoAIII, contributes to the total APase expression both during phosphate-starvation induction and sporulation induction, and that the mechanism of regulation includes two promoters, each requiring different regulatory genes.
An empirical investigation of the effects of downsizing on buyer–seller relationships

Abstract To survive in today's highly competitive markets, many firms are initiating fundamental changes in organizational form and practice. These restructuring efforts are having significant effects on the organization and management of work within customer firms. However, these important changes have been largely ignored in the extant marketing literature. The research presented here represents an early step toward addressing this important gap in the literature. To that end, this paper examines the effect of ‘buyer firm downsizing’ on buying firm structure and buyer–seller relationships. The reported findings support several of the proposed hypotheses related to the effects of downsizing.