cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Meta-Regression Analysis of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation in Patients with Systolic Heart Failure

Background Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials comparing atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation to medical therapy in patients with heart failure (HF) reported improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), quality of life using the Minnesota Living with HF Questionnaire (MLWHFQ), and 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Nonetheless, there was significant heterogeneity not accounted for suggesting that not all HF patients derive the same effect from AF ablation. Objectives To evaluate if baseline LVEF or the etiology of the cardiomyopathy would moderate the efficacy of AF ablation. Methods We performed random effects meta-regression using the mean baseline LVEF and total percentage of patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICMP) in the placebo arms as moderator variables. Results Six trials with a total of 687 patients were included. The baseline LVEF in the control arm of trials ranged from 25% - 42.9%, and the percentage of patients with NICMP within each trial varied from 35% to 100%. When baseline LVEF was used as the moderator variable, no significant change in heterogeneity was observed for any of the outcomes of interest (R2 0.00 - 0.02). However, when controlling for NICMP, heterogeneity dropped substantially for the outcomes of LVEF (I2 44.7%, R2 0.91), and MLWHFQ (I2 0.00%, R2 1.00) but not 6MWT (I2 67.4%, R2 0.00). This indicates that improvement in LVEF and MLWHFQ was greater in the AF ablation group when more patients with NICMP were included in the trials. Conclusions In patients with systolic HF, AF ablation may be more beneficial in patients with NICMP.
Individual and social factors affecting the ability of American crows to solve and master a string pulling task.

Crows and other birds in the family Corvidae regularly share information to learn the identity and whereabouts of dangerous predators, but can they use social learning to solve a novel task for a food reward? Here, we examined the factors affecting the ability of 27 wild‐caught American crows to solve a common string pulling task in a laboratory setting. We split crows into two groups; one group was given the task after repeatedly observing a conspecific model the solution and the other solved in the absence of conspecific models. We recorded the crows’ estimated age, sex, size, body condition, level of nervousness, and brain volume using DICOM images from a CT scan. Although none of these variables were statistically significant, crows without a conspecific model and large brain volumes consistently mastered the task in the minimum number of days, whereas those with conspecific models and smaller brain volumes required varying and sometimes a substantial number of days to master the task. We found indirect evidence that body condition might also be important for motivating crows to solve the task. Crows with conspecific models were no more likely to initially solve the task than those working the puzzle without social information, but those that mastered the task usually copied the method most frequently demonstrated by their knowledgeable neighbors. These findings suggest that brain volume and possibly body condition may be factors in learning new tasks and that crows can use social learning to refine their ability to obtain a novel food source, although they must initially learn to access it themselves.
Multi-Scale Zero-Order Optimization of Smooth Functions in an RKHS.

We aim to optimize a black-box function $f:\mathcal{X} \mapsto \mathbb{R}$ under the assumption that $f$ is Holder smooth and has bounded norm in the RKHS associated with a given kernel $K$. This problem is known to have an agnostic Gaussian Process (GP) bandit interpretation in which an appropriately constructed GP surrogate model with kernel $K$ is used to obtain an upper confidence bound (UCB) algorithm. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm (\texttt{LP-GP-UCB}) where the usual GP surrogate model is augmented with Local Polynomial (LP) estimators of the Holder smooth function $f$ to construct a multi-scale UCB guiding the search for the optimizer. We analyze this algorithm and derive high probability bounds on its simple and cumulative regret. We then prove that the elements of many common RKHS are Holder smooth and obtain the corresponding Holder smoothness parameters, and hence, specialize our regret bounds for several commonly used kernels. When specialized to the Squared Exponential (SE) kernel, \texttt{LP-GP-UCB} matches the optimal performance, while for the case of Matern kernels $(K_{\nu})_{\nu>0}$, it results in uniformly tighter regret bounds for all values of the smoothness parameter $\nu>0$. Most notably, for certain ranges of $\nu$, the algorithm achieves near-optimal bounds on simple and cumulative regrets, matching the algorithm-independent lower bounds up to polylog factors, and thus closing the large gap between the existing upper and lower bounds for these values of $\nu$. Additionally, our analysis provides the first explicit regret bounds, in terms of the budget $n$, for the Rational-Quadratic (RQ) and Gamma-Exponential (GE). Finally, experiments with synthetic functions as well as a CNN hyperparameter tuning task demonstrate the practical benefits of our multi-scale partitioning approach over some existing algorithms numerically.
Turn-on chemiluminescence probes and dual-amplification of signal for detection of amyloid beta species in vivo.

Turn-on fluorescence imaging is routinely studied; however, turn-on chemiluminescence has been rarely explored for in vivo imaging. Herein, we report the design and validation of chemiluminescence probe ADLumin-1 as a turn-on probe for amyloid beta (Aβ) species. Two-photon imaging indicates that ADLumin-1 can efficiently cross the blood–brain barrier and provides excellent contrast for Aβ plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. In vivo brain imaging shows that the chemiluminescence signal of ADLumin-1 from 5-month-old transgenic 5xFAD mice is 1.80-fold higher than that from the age-matched wild-type mice. Moreover, we demonstrate that it is feasible to further dually-amplify signal via chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (DAS-CRET) using two non-conjugated smart probes (ADLumin-1 and CRANAD-3) in solutions, brain homogenates, and in vivo whole brain imaging. Our results show that DAS-CRET can provide a 2.25-fold margin between 5-month-old 5xFAD mice and wild type mice. We believe that our strategy could be extended to other aggregating-prone proteins. Detection of amyloid beta deposits is often performed with fluorescent compounds that bind plaques. Here the authors develop turn-on chemiluminescent probes that bind amyloid beta plaques in vivo, and amplify the signal via chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer to the plaque-binding fluorescent molecule CRANAD-3.
A Generalized Erdös-Rényi Law for Sequence Analysis Problems

We consider a class of random variables that includes scoring functions arising in computational molecular biology, such as sequence alignment and folding. We characterize the class by a set of properties, and show that, under certain conditions, such random variables follow an Erdos-Renyi law of large numbers. That is, $$\begin{gathered} _{\text{2}}^{\text{ + }} \hfill \\ \hfill \\ \mathop {\lim }\limits_{n \to \infty } \frac{{T_n }}{{\log n}} = sd{\text{ a}}{\text{.s}}{\text{.}} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ where Tn is the maximum score over contiguous regions from each of s independent sequences, and d is a function of the large deviation rate of the scoring function. This result unifies several others, and applies to more general scoring systems on any number of sequences. We show how the theorem can be applied to a recently introduced scoring function. Finally, we conjecture that a modified form of this function behaves similarly, and support the conjecture with simulations.
A Methodology for the Sport Industry to Capture Public Perceptions and Responses in the Time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the sports industry, affecting activities from professional sports to the 2020 Summer Olympics. It has wreaked havoc on the sports calendar, causing a number of events to be canceled or postponed. This study proposes a methodology by which the sports industry can assess public perceptions and responses in social media to gain important insights that can be used to craft effective crisis management strategies. Using machine learning approaches in order to extract hidden patterns in tweets could assist practitioners in creating and implementing crisis communication strategies for mitigating the impact of COVID-19.
Retrospective evaluation of single patient investigational new drug (IND) requests in pediatric oncology

Background Single patient Investigational New Drug (IND) applications are one mechanism through which experimental therapies are accessed for children with cancer. The landscape of use, outcomes, and toxicity from single patient INDs remains unknown in pediatric oncology. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all single patient INDs requested and prescribed at a single institution between 1/1/2007 and 5/1/2019. We report aggregate data from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on single patient IND applications over the final two years of the study (2017-2019). We report an overview of all IND applications, as well as clinical descriptions of patients, treatments, outcomes, and toxicity. Results Over the 2-year period, the FDA approved all 171 submitted single patient IND requests for pediatric oncology. We identified 56 requests from our center during the 12-year study period, and all were approved (median time from FDA submission to approval: 1 day (range 0-12)). 71% of requests were based on disease histology. Lack of pediatric clinical trial (65%) was the most common reason for use. 48 approved requests were ultimately administered. The median duration of treatment was 84 days (range: 4-1590), with 3 patients remaining on treatment at time of analysis. Only 7% discontinued treatment due to toxicity. Three-year overall survival was 50% (95% CI, 35-64). Conclusions Single patient INDs in pediatric oncology were universally approved in our national and single-center analysis. In our cohort, single patient INDs were primarily utilized based on disease histology, rather than genomics, for agents that lacked a clinical trial.
Demonstration of a ~40 kV Si Vacuum Transistor as a Practical High Frequency and Power Device

We demonstrate for the first time a vacuum transistor fabricated based upon Si operating in excess of 38 kV applied bias, a voltage normally reserved for high bandgap materials such as SiC and GaN. This is a proof of a concept demonstration of a high-performance vacuum transistor with the potential of having a semiconductor-like footprint. The device consists of a gated field emission array or an electron source, a vacuum drift region and a metal anode. Electrons are emitted from the gated field emission array into vacuum through tunneling, travel through vacuum and are collected at the anode. In this case, the vacuum determines the properties of transport and the high voltage isolation. Important figures of merit: the Baliga, Johnson and power vs. frequency figures of merit (FOMs) are theoretically derived and show the benefits of using a vacuum drift channel, especially for applications which require both high frequency and power. The origin of the improved performance comes from the high critical field of vacuum and most importantly the unbounded nature of the electron velocity due to a lack of scattering.
Loving v. Virginia and White Supremacy

Professor Davis highlights the Supreme Court’s acknowledgement in Loving v. Virginia of the white supremacist character and purpose of anti-miscegenation laws and urges broader judicial recognition of the supremacist character of discriminatory practices.‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎
Evaluation of Two-Region-Reactor Parameters by Random Noise Measurements*

An experimental method of measuring parameters peculiar to a two-region nuclear reactor is developed requiring the measurement of the cross-power spectrum between the outputs of the two reactor reg...
Multiparty Secret Key Exchange Using a Random Deal of Cards

We consider the problem of multiparty secret key exchange. A "team" of players P1 through Pk wishes to determine an n-bit secret key in the presence of a computationally unlimited eavesdropper, Eve. The team players are dealt hands of cards of prespecified sizes from a deck of d distinct cards; any remaining cards are dealt to Eve. We explore how the team can use the information contained in their hands of cards to determine an n-bit key that is secret from Eve, that is, an n bit string which each team player knows exactly but for which Eve's probability of guessing the key correctly is 1/2n both before and after she hears the communication between the team players. We describe randomized protocols for secret key exchange that work for certain classes of deals, and we present some conditions on the deal for such a protocol to exist.
Borges & Bike Rides: Toward an Understanding of Autoethnography

In this article the authorâ€”a full-time high school mathematics teacher and concurrent doctoral candidate in Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology at Georgia State Universityâ€”will make a case for the use of an autoethnographic methodological tool he is calling narrative mining . He will begin by briefly summarizing his experiences attempting to write and publish autoethnography; a short story by Argentine mystery writer Jorge Luis Borges will serve as a frame to provide three examples of barriers the author believes lie between a writer and any attempt at self-knowledge. A partial solution to these barriers is proposed in the form of an examination of the personal stories a writer has told over time. An example is then shown, and a call made for a deeper look into the possible spaces opened up in a continued examination of the personal story.
Sequencing and expression of the Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens xylB gene encoding a novel bifunctional protein with beta-D-xylosidase and alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase activities

A single gene (xylB) encoding both beta-D-xylosidase (EC 3.2.1.37) and alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.55) activities was identified and sequenced from the ruminal bacterium Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens. The xylB gene consists of a 1.551-bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 517 amino acids. A subclone containing a 1.843-bp DNA fragment retained both enzymatic activities. Insertion of a 10-bp NotI linker into the EcoRV site within the central region of this ORF abolished both activities. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cytoplasmic proteins from recombinant Escherichia coli confirmed the presence of a 60,000-molecular-weight protein in active subclones and the absence of this protein in subclones lacking activity. With p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside and p-nitrophenyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside as substrates, the specific activity of arabinosidase was found to be approximately 1.6-fold higher than that of xylosidase. The deduced amino acid sequence of the xylB gene product did not exhibit a high degree of identity with other xylan-degrading enzymes or glycosidases. The xylB gene was located between two incomplete ORFs within the 4,200-bp region which was sequenced. No sequences resembling terminators were found within this region, and these three genes are proposed to be part of a single operon. Based on comparison with other glycosidases, a conserved region was identified in the carboxyl end of the translated xylB gene which is similar to that of glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger.
Mean Square Error

If is an estimator of a parameter θ, then the mean-square(d) error (MSE) of the estimator is defined as the expectation of the squared deviation of from θ: . The MSE is a measure of closeness of the estimator to the true value. It can be shown that That is, MSE reflects both the bias (accuracy) of the estimator, that is, how much its expected value deviates systematically from the true value, as well as the variance (precision) of the estimator, which indicates how much it varies about its expected value due to sampling variability. Keywords: variance; bias; bias–variance tradeoff; squared error loss; precision; accuracy
Organometallic chemistry : V. Protonation of acylferrocenes under stable ion conditions in fso3h-so2c1f solution

Abstract Protonation of acylferrocenes (FeCOR) in FSO3H-SO2CIF(SO2) solution was studied by PMR spectroscopy. The site of protonation is found to be at the carbonyl oxygen atom. Temperature dependent PMR spectra of protonated acylferrocenes FeCROH+ (R = CH3, C2H5, C6H5, OCH3) were observed indicating intermolecular hydrogen exchange with the acid solvent system. In addition the PMR spectra of acylferrocenes in FSO3 H-SO2 CIF(SO2) were found to be dependent upon the acid concentration.
Technique for Human Marrow Grafting

A technique is described for marrow aspiration from living human donors and for processing the marrow for intravenous infusion to marrow graft recipients.
Evolutionary Psychology is Compatible with Equity Feminism, but Not with Gender Feminism: A Reply to Eagly and Wood (2011)

I comment on Eagly and Wood's biosocial constructionist evolutionary theory (2011; DOI: 10.1007/s11199-011-9949-9). Although this gender feminist theory allows for evolved physical differences betw...
The role of feticide in the management of severe twin transfusion syndrome

Abstract Twin transfusion sysdrome is a serious complication of monozygotic twin pregnancy. Diagnostic ultrasound now allows early diagnosis of this condition, but therapy has remained more elusive. In this article we present a case of severe twin transfusion syndrome diagnosed early in the second trimester. At 25 weeks' gestation, severe hydramnios, premature labor, and growth retardation of the donor twin suggested that selective feticide be contemplated to allow continuation of the pregnancy for the remaining twin. This was accomplished successfully by an in utero approach with subsequent follow-up and delivery of a healthy female infant at 37 weeks' gestation. Discussion of diagnosis, management, follow-up, and pathologic features is provided.
Social benefits and the subsidization of higher education: A critique

This paper examines the policy relevance of assertions that hypothetical social benefits generated by higher education satisfy normal public investment criteria. A subsidization model of higher education is introduced to emphasize the importance of either social benefits or political collusion as justifications for public support of higher education. The most common arguments in support of the social benefits approach are critiqued. The paper concludes by examining the question of whether even the existence of social benefits is a sufficient condition for subsidization and the need for examination of alternative funding systems is highlighted.
Sag in thermoforming

In thermoforming, flat sheets of plastics are transformed into complex shapes by first softening the sheet, and then by shaping it. While softening, the sheet can extend under its own weight, making it concave. Called sag, this affects how each element of the sheet surface views the heater bank. This can worsen the variations in the heat flux distribution across the sheet. It can also cause the heat flux over and under each element on the sheet to differ. The resulting temperature gradients, either across the sheet or through its thickness, can complicate processability. To suppress sag, practitioners stretch the sheet laterally, using cambered transfer rails to keep the sheet taut. In this article, we model sag analytically, using transport phenomena in cylindrical coordinates, for a thin wide rectangular Newtonian isothermal sheet. We uncover a universal dimensionless relation between sag and time, and a useful dimensionless group that we call sagability. We find that the middle of the sagging sheet, unsuppressed, descends, to leading order, with the cube root of time, and our experiments confirm this. Also, we discover that at a particular time the sag increases rapidly without bound, and we call this phenomenon sag runaway. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:2060–2068, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
A Subaru Pencil-Beam Search for mR ~ 27 Trans-Neptunian Bodies

We present the results of an archival search for trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) in an ecliptic field observed with Subaru in 2002. The depth of the search allowed us to find 20 new TNOs with magnitudes between R = 24 and 27. We fit a double power-law model to the data; the most likely values for the bright and faint power-law exponents are α1 = 0.73+0.08 –0.09 and α2 = 0.20+0.12 –0.14; the differential number density at R = 23 is σ23 = 1.46+0.14 –0.12 and the break magnitude is R eq = 25.0+0.8 –0.6. This is the most precise measurement of the break in the TNO luminosity function to date. The break in the size distribution corresponds to a diameter of D = 90 ± 30 km assuming a 4% albedo.
Quantifying the hydrophobic effect. 2. A computer simulation-molecular-thermodynamic model for the micellization of nonionic surfactants in aqueous solution.

In this article, the validity and accuracy of the CS-MT model introduced in article 1 for oil aggregates and in article 2 for nonionic surfactants is further evaluated by using it to model the micellization behavior of ionic and zwitterionic surfactants in aqueous solution. In the CS-MT model, two separate free-energy contributions to the hydrophobic driving force for micelle formation are computed using hydration data obtained from computer simulation: gdehydr, the free-energy change associated with dehydration, and ghydr, the change in the hydration free energy. To enable straightforward estimation of gdehydr and ghydr for ionic and zwitterionic surfactants, a number of simplifying approximations were made. Reasonable agreement between the CMCs predicted using the CS-MT model and the experimental CMCs was obtained for sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), dodecylphophocholine (DPC), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), two 3-hydroxy sulfonate surfactants (AOS-12 and AOS-16), and a homologous series of four DCNA bromide surfactants with a dimethylammonium head attached to a dodecyl alkyl tail and to an alkyl side chain of length CN, having the chemical formula C12H25CNH2N+1N(CH3)2Br, with N = 1 (DC1AB), 2 (DC2AB), 4 (DC4AB), and 6 (DC6AB). For six of these nine surfactants, the CMCs predicted using the CS-MT model are closer to the experimental CMCs than the CMCs predicted using the traditional molecular-thermodynamic (MT) model. For DC2AB, DC4AB, and DC6AB, which are the most structurally complex of the ionic surfactants modeled, the CMCs predicted using the CS-MT model are in remarkably good agreement with the experimental CMCs, and the CMCs predicted using the traditional MT model are quite inaccurate. Our results suggest that the CS-MT model accurately quantifies the hydrophobic driving force for micelle formation for ionic and zwitterionic surfactants in aqueous solution. For complex ionic and zwitterionic surfactants where it is difficult to accurately quantify the hydrophobic driving force for micelle formation using the traditional MT modeling approach, the CS-MT model represents a very promising alternative.
Teaching psychopharmacology: two trainees' perspectives.

Objective To describe our experience of learning clinical psychopharmacology during residency, in order to assist educators planning psychopharmacology curricula.
As the Left Foot Follows the Right? The Dynamics of Strategic and Structural Change

This study empirically tested the contingency relationship between strategy and structure proposed by Chandler and others with hypotheses linking the probability, timing, and magnitude of changes i...
Stimulation of ice nucleation by marine diatoms

Biogenic aerosol particles of terrestrial origin, including bacteria and pollen, trigger ice formation in the atmosphere. Laboratory experiments reveal that biogenic particles of marine origin also initiate ice formation under typical tropospheric conditions.
Discovery of infrastructure in multi-agent systems

Agents are expected to use the MAS infrastructure in their interaction, but no work has been done on how agents learn of the sorrounding infrastructure. In this paper, we describe a discovery mechanism, that allows agents to rapidly track the changes in the infrastructure of their local networks in order to maintain a consistently high level of interoperation with other agents. In addition, we show how the discovery protocols can be extended over the Internet through a Peer-to-Peer connectivity model based on the Gnutella architecture to create Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communities.
Estimating individual cross-section coefficients from the random coefficient regression model

Marketing researchers frequently encounter cross-sectional, time-series data when developing sales response models. One approach to analyzing such data is to estimate a separate OLS equation for each cross-section. Alternatively, one could pool the data from all cross-sections to estimate a single set of response coefficients for all cross-sections. However, when data are pooled, the responsiveness of individual cross-sections cannot be evaluated. In this note, we introduce a version of the random coefficient model that can be used to estimate separate sets of response coefficients for each cross-section, thereby circumventing the assumption that coefficients are homogeneous in all cross-sections. We demonstrate this approach with an empirical model that relates brand level sales to price and advertising.
Ron receptor-dependent gene regulation of Kupffer cells during endotoxemia

Background Ron receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in macrophages, including Kupffer cells and alveolar macrophages, suppresses endotoxin-induced proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine production. Further, we have also identified genes from Ron replete and Ron deplete livers that were differentially expressed during the progression of liver inflammation associated with acute liver failure in mice by microarray analyses. While important genes and signaling pathways have been identified downstream of Ron signaling during progression of inflammation by this approach, the precise role that Ron receptor plays in regulating the transcriptional landscape in macrophages, and particular in isolated Kupffer cells, has still not been investigated. Methods Kupffer cells were isolated from wild-type (TK+/+) and Ron tyrosine kinase deficient (TK-/-) mice. Ex vivo, the cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of the Ron ligand, hepatocyte growth factor-like protein (HGFL). Microarray and qRT-PCR analyses were utilized to identify alterations in gene expression between genotypes. Results Microarray analyses identified genes expressed differentially in TK+/+ and TK−/− Kupffer cells basally as well as after HGFL and LPS treatment. Interestingly, our studies identified Mefv, a gene that codes for the anti-inflammatory protein pyrin, as an HGFL-stimulated Ron-dependent gene. Moreover, lipocalin 2, a proinflammatory gene, which is induced by LPS, was significantly suppressed by HGFL treatment. Microarray results were validated by qRT-PCR studies on Kupffer cells treated with LPS and HGFL. Conclusion The studies herein suggest a novel mechanism whereby HGFL-induced Ron receptor activation promotes the expression of anti-inflammatory genes while inhibiting genes involved in inflammation with a net effect of diminished inflammation in macrophages.
Rapid Assay of Hypothalamic Aromatase Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract A rapid assay for hypothalamic aromatase has been developed using HPLC. Each assay tube contained rat anterior hypothalamus homogenized in Na phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), NADPH regenerating system, unlabelled estradiol and estrone, and 10 μCi of 3H-androstenedione. After agitation at 37°C for 3 hours, the reaction mixture was extracted with CH2Cl2, partitioned between 90% methanol and hexane, and the methanol layer chromatographed on a Waters 10μ C-18 Radial-PAK column using acetonitrile/water (70:30). The estrogens were collected together and rechromatographed with THF/water (35:65). The estrone peak was collected, and the 3H-estrone produced was determined by liquid scintillation. The estrone collected from the second chromatographic step was found to be at least 95% pure by methylation and rechromatography. Using the HPLC procedure, enzymatic 3H-estrone formation was found to be linear in a time and protein dependant manner.
Melanosome metabolism in the retinal pigmented epithelium of the opossum

Melanosomal metabolism, including both formation and degradation of melanosomes, was studied in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) of the adult opossum. The majority of the observations were made on a transitional zone between the tapetal and non-tapetal RPE, the region where melanosome metabolism was at its highest level. Formation of melanosomes, demonstrated ultrastructurally by the presence of stage-II and -III premelanosomes, was also examined autoradiographically following the incorporation of the melanin precursor, dihydroxyphenylalanine. The autoradiographic evidence indicated that many newly formed melanosomes were rapidly incorporated into complexes. Ultrastructural observations suggested that melanosome complexes were formed by at least two methods, via the fusion of melanosomes with phagosomes derived from outer segments of photoreceptors, or by the sequestration of melanosomes by cisternae. A central finding of this study, supported by both ultrastructural and histochemical data, is that there are specialized cellular regions that vary in melanosomal formation and lysosomal activity. Stage-II premelanosomes were observed only in the basal parts of the RPE cells, whereas stage-III and -IV melanosomes were found primarily in the apical RPE. Both ultrastructural and cytochemical observations indicated that degradation of melanosomes occurs only in the basal RPE. These findings are interpreted in terms of the expression of both tapetal and nontapetal characteristics in transitional cells. Finally, this study illustrates the role of lysosomal enzymes in shaping the pattern of pigmentation, and shows that the association of lysosomal activity with melanosomes depends on the functional state of the melanosome.
The behavior of noble gases in silicate liquids: Solution, diffusion, bubbles and surface effects, with applications to natural samples

Solubilities of noble gases in five natural silicate liquids as a function of temperature and partial pressure at 1 atm total pressure were determined and diffusion coefficients of the noble gases were measured in a tholeiite basalt at 1350°C. Solubilities of noble gases in silicate liquids obey Henry's law and are a strong function of composition and/or physical properties of the liquids. Solubility is greatest in less dense, more silica-rich liquids. Solubility is highest for the light gases and is related to the radius of the gas atom according to Ki = aexp (−br2i). Temperature dependence of solubility is weak, but in general solubility increases with increasing temperature yielding positive enthalpies of solution. Diffusion coefficients in a basalt liquid at 1350°C show more or less the same linear relationship with r2 as solubility and are larger than what would be expected from extrapolation of values determined at lower temperatures. A large percentage of samples of andesite composition had bubbles that contained gas which was fractionated from the gas of the experiment. Concentrations of noble gases in samples equilibrated on Pt wire loops correlate with the surface/volume ratio, suggesting that surfaces of silicate liquids can accommodate more noble gases than the liquid proper. Solubility fractionation is a valid process to account for certain patterns in marine basalts. The density of silicate liquids appears to be a good predictor of noble gas solubility in these liquids.
Expanded Functions Training for Dental Assistants in the Indian Health Service

It was realized that if the Indian Health Service (IHS) Dental Program was to keep pace with the demand for dental care resulting from the rapid growth of the Indian and Alaska native population, the productivity of the existing dental staff would have to be increased. Three dental assistant training centers, with modern equipment, have been established at which sit-down, fourhanded dentistry is used. The responsibility of the IHS dental assisting training centers was to develop an expanded functions course and to use dentists as consultants to the study teams with regard to efficient use of the auxiliaries. A two-phase program was developed: a four-week laboratory course and an eight-week clinical course. It was found that dental assistants could be taught to perform expanded functions at an acceptable level in a relatively short time. Continued chairside supervision by the dentists is mandatory while the auxiliaries gain experience.
Silane-silanol dehydrocondensation. The microscopic reverse of hydrogen activation by an organometallic oxide complex

Abstract Hydrogen evolution from the dehydrocondensation reaction of triphenylsilane with triphenylsilanol is catalyzed by sodium trimethylsiloxide at 90°C in dioxane solvent. This system is the first example of a silane hydrolysis reaction that exhibits simple first order kinetics when investigated under second order conditions, equal concentrations of silane to proton source. Further analysis of the kinetics by the method of initial rates indicates that the reaction is first order in silane and zero order in silanol, demonstrating a multistep mechanisms process and that the proton source is not involved in the rate limiting step. The microscopic reverse process, hydrogen activation, has been investigated at 200–250°C and 330 atm of hydrogen using hexamethyldisiloxane and sodium trimethylsiloxide to yield significant, 12%, quantities of trimethylsilyl hydride; however, the reaction has limited application since the methyl groups are concurrently cleaved to the organic product methane under these conditions.
Clarification properties of trash and stalk tissues from sugar cane.

The effect of the U.S. and worldwide change from burnt to unburnt (green) sugar cane harvesting on processing and the use of sugar cane leaves and tops as a biomass source has not been fully charac...
The importance of subsurface nepheloid layers in transport and delivery of sediments to the eastern Cariaco Basin, Venezuela

Abstract Optical transmissometer measurements were coupled with particulate organic matter (POM) observations to understand suspended sediment composition and distribution in the eastern Cariaco Basin during the rainy seasons of September 2003 and 2006. Our results suggest that nepheloid layers originating at the mouth of small mountainous rivers discharging into the eastern Basin are a major delivery mechanism of terrigenous sediments to the Basin interior. Intermediate nepheloid layers (INL) were observed near the shelf break (∼100 m) and appear to effectively transport terrigenous material laterally from the shelf to deep waters, thereby providing a plausible supply mechanism of the terrestrial material observed in sediment traps. These findings highlight the importance of small, local rivers in the Cariaco Basin as sources of terrestrial material. In contrast, these nepheloid layers contained only limited POM. When this information is combined with published sediment trap POM data, it suggests that nepheloid layers may not be a primary mechanism for delivering terrigenous POM to the deeper waters of the basin during the rainy season. Rather, BNL may redistribute marine-derived POM from shallow waters to the Basin's interior by providing ballast materials, particularly during episodic events driven by wind and precipitation. Though we have determined that nepheloid layers play an important role in the seaward transport of particulate material in the Cariaco Basin, their composition and temporal variability have not been fully characterized. This is critical to understand lateral particle transport, since nepheloid layers constitute a significant source of sediment to the deep Cariaco Basin.
Hot spot formation in microwave heated ceramic fibres

An analysis of microwave heating of a thin ceramic cylinder in a single mode, highly resonant cavity is presented. Realistic assumptions regarding the effective electrical conductivity, thermal parameters, and physical dimensions are adhered to throughout. Consequently, the model developed herein incorporates most of the features of an actual experiment. It contains the effects of both cavity detuning and a local electric field perturbation on the heating process. The model presented takes the form of a one-dimensional reaction-diffusion equation which contains a functional. The development of this equation is the product of a systematic modelling process that involves S-matrix theory, a small-Biot-number asymptotic analysis, and a matched asymptotic analysis of a non-standard electromagnetic scattering problem. This equation reveals both the mathematical structure and physical mechanism for the formation of hot spots. An accurate numerical method which approximates the solution of this equation is presented. The results agree qualitatively with experiments and predict observed trends.
Technology transfer through acquisition

Presents a case study of an intervention in a technology‐based acquisition. Conceptualizing the technology transfer process as the integrated movement of people, capabilities and knowledge, the analysis examines the development and implementation of the acquisition plan. The discussion focuses on the acquiring company’s integration strategy and the ramifications for intervening in such strategic endeavours.
Self-observation and learning: the effect of watching oneself on problem solving performance

Abstract Two experiments examined the effects of videotape feedback and self-observation on children’s problem solving. The first experiment examined children’s performance on the Tower of Hanoi problem, and demonstrated that video self-observation promotes the acquisition and transfer of procedural knowledge necessary for problem solving. The study also found that specific information presented during the video presentation was not as important as the children seeing their actual prior performance on the problem. The second experiment examined the type of information that may be operative during self-observation. These findings narrow the range of possible explanations for learning through self-observation and, in general, suggest that the positive effect of self-observation is due to active observation of one’s own actual performance.
Representing Substantial Heading Uncertainty for Accurate Geolocation by Small UAVs

Geolocation of a ground object of interest from live video is a common task required of small and micro unmanned aerial vehicles in surveillance and rescue applications. The small low-cost sensors these vehicles carry provide low accuracy when mapping an image coordinate to a world location. Frequently, a primary source of such inaccuracy is error in vehicle heading. Filtering methods that inadequately represent the resulting nonlinear uncertainty distributions of geolocation measurements will produce inconsistent and inaccurate estimates. This paper presents a geolocation lter with a discretized solution space that correctly handles sampled nonlinear observations. The lter achieves higher accuracy when compared to alternative linearized methods. Assessment of the improved solution accuracy for stationary objects is provided through ight experiments using a commercial human-portable xed-wing UAV system.
Optical properties and electronic structure of crossroads material MnTe

Abstract Combining an energy level model for the rocksalt manganese chalcogenides with a measurement of 1.3 eV for the optical gap of NiAs-structured MnTe, it is argued that MnTe has extensive energetic p-d overlap and that such overlap is characteristic of NiAs-structured materials.
Formation and Some Properties of Micelles

The relationship of micelles to other types of organized structures formed by amphipathic monomers such as monolayers, bilayers, membranes, and adsorbed layers is pointed out. The patterns of self-association followed by micelle-forming surfactants is examined in terms of a general association model. The interactions responsible for micelle formation and the characteristic features of the local microenvironments of micelles are reviewed. The nature of solubilization by micelles is discussed in terms of the forces of interaction involved and problems of location, distribution and orientation. Die Verwandtschaft von Mizellen zu anderen Typen organisierter Strukturen, gebildet aus amphipathischen Monomeren. wie monomolekulare Schichten, bimolekulare Schichten, Membranen und adsorbierte Schichten, wird dargestellt. Die Schemata fur die Selbstassoziation, denen die mizellenbildenden oberflachenaktiven Stoffe folgen, werden anhand eines generellen Assoziationsmodells gepruft. Die Wechselwirkungen, die fur die Bildung von Mizellen verantwortlich sind und die charakteristischen Eigenschaften der lokalen nachsten Umgebung der Mizellen werden zusammenfassend dargestellt. Die Natur der Solubilisierung durch Mizellen wird aufgrund der beteiligten Wechselwirkungskrafte diskutiert, desgleichen Probleme der Lage, Verteilung und Orientierung.
Aging and the response to salmonella infection

Abstract We investigated the effect of age on the ability of Fischer 344 rats to mount a febrile response and contain infection due to Salmonella typhimurium . Elderly (22–23 month), middle-aged (12–13 month) and young (2–3 month) rats were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1.5 × 10 6 organisms and the febrile response and liver and spleen bacterial counts were followed for 13 days. The elderly had a more sluggish febrile response and did not achieve as great a maximum temperature elevation as the young and middle-aged rats. Except for days 1 and 5, bacterial counts in liver and spleen were greater in the elderly rats than in young and middle-aged rats.
Signal Processing Techniques for Stepped Frequency Ultra- Wideband Radar

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has developed the impulse-based, ground vehicle-based, forward-looking ultra-wideband (UWB), synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to detect concealed targets. Although the impulse-based architecture offers its own advantages, one of the important challenges is that when using this architecture it is very difficult to transmit a radar signal with an arbitrary bandwidth and shape. This feature is crucial for the radar to be compliant with the local frequency authority. In addition, being able to transmit signals with an arbitrary spectral shape is an important step in creating the next generation of smart (cognitive) radars. Therefore, we have designed a next-generation prototype radar to take advantage of the stepped frequency architecture. The design and building of the radar hardware is underway. In this paper, we study the radar transmit and acquisition scheme; the trade-offs between SAR image performance and various key radar parameters; and data reconstruction techniques for radar signals with an arbitrary spectrum. This study demonstrates performance, provides some guidelines for the radar design, and serves as a foundation for the signal and image processing stage.
3-[3,5-Dimethoxy-2-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl]-4-trimethylsilylsydnone

The title compound, C16H26N2O4Si2, is a mesoionic compound of the sydnone class. Its mol­ecular structure reveals the two planar ring fragments mutually twisted by 74.88 (10)°. The crystal packing is characterized by a one-dimensional mol­ecular array generated by C—H⋯O inter­actions.
Differentially Algebraic Group Chunks

We point out that a group first order definable in a differentially closed field K of characteristic 0 can be definably equipped with the structure of a differentially algebraic group over K . This is a translation into the framework of differentially closed fields of what is known for groups definable in algebraically closed fields (Weil's theorem). I restrict myself here to showing (Theorem 20) how one can find a large “differentially algebraic group chunk” inside a group defined in a differentially closed field. The rest of the translation (Theorem 21) follows routinely, as in [B]. What is, perhaps, of interest is that the proof proceeds at a completely general (soft) model theoretic level, once Facts 1–4 below are known. Fact 1. The theory of differentially closed fields of characteristic 0 is complete and has quantifier elimination in the language of differential fields (+, ·,0,1, −1 , d ). Fact 2. Affine n-space over a differentially closed field is a Noetherian space when equipped with the differential Zariski topology . Fact 3. If K is a differentially closed field, k ⊆ K a differential field, and a and are in k, then a is in the definable closure of k ◡ iff a ∈ ‹ › ( where k ‹ › denotes the differential field generated by k and ). Fact 4. The theory of differentially closed fields of characteristic zero is totally transcendental (in particular, stable ) .
Genome-Wide RNAi Screen Identifies Novel Host Proteins Required for Alphavirus Entry

The enveloped alphaviruses include important and emerging human pathogens such as Chikungunya virus and Eastern equine encephalitis virus. Alphaviruses enter cells by clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and exit by budding from the plasma membrane. While there has been considerable progress in defining the structure and function of the viral proteins, relatively little is known about the host factors involved in alphavirus infection. We used a genome-wide siRNA screen to identify host factors that promote or inhibit alphavirus infection in human cells. Fuzzy homologue (FUZ), a protein with reported roles in planar cell polarity and cilia biogenesis, was required for the clathrin-dependent internalization of both alphaviruses and the classical endocytic ligand transferrin. The tetraspanin membrane protein TSPAN9 was critical for the efficient fusion of low pH-triggered virus with the endosome membrane. FUZ and TSPAN9 were broadly required for infection by the alphaviruses Sindbis virus, Semliki Forest virus, and Chikungunya virus, but were not required by the structurally-related flavivirus Dengue virus. Our results highlight the unanticipated functions of FUZ and TSPAN9 in distinct steps of alphavirus entry and suggest novel host proteins that may serve as targets for antiviral therapy.
The effect of affective labeling of response items on paired-associates learning.

Summary A rationale was sought for the general result that adult subjects find hostile words more difficult to learn than neutral words. A paired-associates task was constructed, and as responses nonsense syllables were used which had previously been experimentally associated with affectively significant adjectives. Three sets of three syllables each were created. One set consisted of syllables previously associated with “hostile” adjectives, one set consisted of syllables previously associated with “kindly” adjectives, and one set consisted of those previously associated with neutral adjectives. Results showed that the “neutral” syllables were more difficult to learn than either of the affectively significant sets. An explanation in terms of the greater dissimilarity in meaning among the neutral adjectives was offered.