cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some Unifying Concepts in Reliablity Physics, Mathematical Models, and Statistics

The basic concepts of dimensional analysis are used to make a general examination of reliability physics, mathematical models, and statistics. Beginning with reliability physics, an examination of Eyring's equation is made using Buckingham's Pi theorem. The Arrhenius equation is then seen to be an approximation to the Eyring equation. The use of dimensional analysis in constructing mathematical models based on empirical investigations is considered. The results suggest that, in every empirical study, the appropriate dimensionless variables should first be identified. These variables should then be used in experimental exploration and for subsequent mathematical modeling. The probability density functions of statistics may be associated with patterns of "noise". The exponential, Weibull, and normal distributions serve as examples. In this context, statistical methods are used for extracting signals from a pattern of noise and for judging the statistical significance of the signal-to-noise ratio. The pattern of noise is important in deriving an appropriate method of signal extraction. Examples of signal-to-noise ratios are given by the common tests of statistical significance. The u-test for the significance of the difference between an observed mean and its hypothesized value and the t-test of significance for the difference between two observed means are typical examples. The maximization of the signal-to-noise ratio can be used to obtain important classification methods. The loinear discriminant, used in some reliability screening applications, furnishes an example of such a maximization.
Notes on the Margins of Lawyering, in Three and a Half Minutes

Mitu Gulati and Robert E. Scott have given us a wonderful study. They tell us about how elite lawyers practice law, and they tell us about the transformation of the process of producing all of the standard form contract terms that govern so much of our economic life. Moreover, those of us who have done work involving interviewing lawyers can understand what it took to produce this work. One reason that law professors know so little about what lawyers for major economic actors do is that these lawyers are so hard to study. I confess that most of what I know about sovereign debt I learned reading this study. It is not my world. The authors caution about not over-generalizing because things may be different in other areas. Nonetheless, I want to speculate about what the changes in elite practice may mean for other areas of creating contracts and dealing with disputes that are likely to follow. I also want to say something about the methods of studying lawyers.
Lung microbiome and host immune tone in subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treated with inhaled interferon-γ

Therapies targeting inflammation reveal inconsistent results in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Aerosolised interferon (IFN)-γ has been proposed as a novel therapy. Changes in the host airway microbiome are associated with the inflammatory milieu and may be associated with disease progression. Here, we evaluate whether treatment with aerosolised IFN-γ in IPF impacts either the lower airway microbiome or the host immune phenotype. Patients with IPF who enrolled in an aerosolised IFN-γ trial underwent bronchoscopy at baseline and after 6 months. 16S rRNA sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was used to evaluate the lung microbiome. Biomarkers were measured by Luminex assay in plasma, BALF and BAL cell supernatant. The compPLS framework was used to evaluate associations between taxa and biomarkers. IFN-γ treatment did not change α or β diversity of the lung microbiome and few taxonomic changes occurred. While none of the biomarkers changed in plasma, there was an increase in IFN-γ and a decrease in Fit-3 ligand, IFN-α2 and interleukin-5 in BAL cell supernatant, and a decrease in tumour necrosis factor-β in BALF. Multiple correlations between microbial taxa common to the oral mucosa and host inflammatory biomarkers were found. These data suggest that the lung microbiome is independently associated with the host immune tone and may have a potential mechanistic role in IPF.
Extracardiac Fontan Operation Through a Right Thoracotomy

An extracardiac Fontan operation through a right thoracotomy incision is an alternative approach in children who have an ascending aorta that is in close proximity to the sternum, as in aortic atresia or transposed great vessels, and in those who have had prior mediastinitis.
Phosphorylation of Starch and Cellulose with an Amine Salt of Tetrapolyphosphoric Acid

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the phosphorylation of starch and cellulose with an amine salt of tetrapolyphosphoric acid. Starch monophosphate esters are prepared by treatment of starch with sodium tripolyphosphate or mixtures of orthophosphate salts. The degree of substitution obtained by these methods is generally less than 0.15, although products having higher degrees of substitution may be obtained by extending reaction time or increasing reagent concentration or reaction temperature. As the phosphorylation is conducted under neutral to slightly basic conditions, degradation of the polysaccharide is low. The reagent phosphorylates both primary and secondary hydroxyl functions with equal facility. A water-soluble cellulose phosphate can be obtained by phosphorylation of water-soluble cellulose acetate followed by removal of acetate groups with mild base.
The homozygous CX3CR1-M280 mutation impairs human monocyte survival

Several reports have demonstrated that mouse Cx3cr1 signaling promotes monocyte/macrophage survival. In agreement, we previously found that, in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis, genetic deficiency of Cx3cr1 resulted in increased mortality and impaired tissue fungal clearance associated with decreased macrophage survival. We translated this finding by showing that the dysfunctional CX3CR1 variant CX3CR1-M280 was associated with increased risk and worse outcome of human systemic candidiasis. However, the impact of this mutation on human monocyte/macrophage survival is poorly understood. Herein, we hypothesized that CX3CR1-M280 impairs human monocyte survival. We identified WT (CX3CR1-WT/WT), CX3CR1-WT/M280 heterozygous, and CX3CR1-M280/M280 homozygous healthy donors of European descent, and we show that CX3CL1 rescues serum starvation-induced cell death in CX3CR1-WT/WT and CX3CR1-WT/M280 but not in CX3CR1-M280/M280 monocytes. CX3CL1-induced survival of CX3CR1-WT/WT monocytes is mediated via AKT and ERK activation, which are both impaired in CX3CR1-M280/M280 monocytes, associated with decreased blood monocyte counts in CX3CR1-M280/M280 donors at steady state. Instead, CX3CR1-M280/M280 does not affect monocyte CX3CR1 surface expression or innate immune effector functions. Together, we show that homozygocity of the M280 polymorphism in CX3CR1 is a potentially novel population-based genetic factor that influences human monocyte signaling.
Down Syndrome: Developmental, Psychiatric, and Management Issues

Often considered the prototypical retardation syndrome, individuals with Down syndrome show certain behavioral characteristics that may be etiology specific. These individuals show relatively high levels of social and adaptive skills but very low levels of grammar and expressive language, as well as age- and task-related slowings as they get older. Individuals with Down syndrome show lesser degrees of psychopathology during childhood but more depression during adulthood. Higher and earlier risk for Alzheimer’s disease is among the most salient associated medical concerns, but hearing, visual, and orthopedic conditions also are common. Specific educational, residential, and psychotherapeutic practices may help this population.
Meeting Challenges in US Education: Striving for Success in a Diverse Society

Having one of the most diverse populations in the world, the United States has sought to address many different challenges over the past century. The challenges faced by the educational system in the United States have revolved around the primary issue of inequality of educational opportunity for children of cultural minority populations or children living in poverty. These same challenges have moved into the 21st century with renewed complexity due to the changes in demographics and cultural perspectives, implementation of governmental policies, advances in technology, and a substantial research knowledge base relative to school improvement also referred to as school reform. The educational system in the United States has as its goal to serve more than 53 million students in public and private K-12 schools. The racial and ethnic composition of students has and will continuously change. Currently, non-Latino White students comprise 58% of the school age population. Minority children make up approximately 40% of the school age population with Black students equaling 17% and Latino students 19% of the total. By the year 2020 it is expected to be reversed with 66% of the students being African American, Asian, Latino, or Native American (US Department of Education, 2005). Many of the children from minority backgrounds are from families who have immigrated and are faced with learning a new language and the need to learn new skills to work and provide for their families. Newly immigrated families typically settle in city neighborhoods experiencing economic poverty. Their limited skills do not allow for them to live in better neighborhoods (Crosnoe, 2005). As a result, the children of immigrant families entering the schools also are learning a new language and experiencing the effects of poor economic opportunity. America’s schools are financed according to property tax revenues generated by the appraised value of homes and businesses within the boundary lines of a school
Gigahertz Femtosecond Lasers

Femtosecond lasers with a repetition rate of approximately 1 GHz are commonly used frequency comb generators for precise optical frequency metrology. They are conveniently compact, yield unambiguous frequency readings with the help of a commercial wavemeter, and can yield greater heterodyne beat signals against a cw laser than systems with lower repetition rates. This chapter reviews the technology of oscillators based on Ti:sapphire and Cr:forsterite that operate at repetition rates of up to 3.5 GHz. Aside from a discussion of these “standard” lasers with a typical full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) bandwidth of 30 nm, one section is dedicated to the generation of a broadband continuum with a 1 GHz oscillator. This laser allows frequency measurements without additional spectral broadening and can be phase locked to a reference oscillator for uninterrupted periods exceeding one day.
Fluorometric Determination of Histamine in Cheese

Thirty-one samples of cheese obtained from retail outlets were analyzed for histamine, using an official AOAC fluorometric method. The types of cheese analyzed and the ranges of histamine found were: colby, 0.3--2.8; camembert, 0.4--4.2; cheddar, 1.2--5.8; gouda, 1.3--2.4; provolone, 2.0--23.5; roquefort, 1.0--16.8; mozzarella 1.6--5.0; and swiss, 0.4--250 mg histamine/100 g. Ten of the 12 samples of swiss cheese contained less than 16 mg histamine/100 g. The remaining 2 samples which contained 116 and 250 mg histamine/100 g were judged organoleptically to be of poor quality. An investigation of one processing facility showed that the production of histamine in swiss cheese may have been a result of a hydrogen peroxide/low temperature treatment of the milk supply. Recovery of histamine added to methanol extracts of cheese ranged from 93 to 105%. Histamine content was confirmed by high pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of the methanol extracts.
Is it worth repairing rheumatic mitral valve disease in children? Long-term outcomes of an aggressive approach to rheumatic mitral valve repair compared to replacement in young patients

OBJECTIVES Contemporary experience in mitral valve (MV) repair for children with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is limited, despite the potential advantages of repair over replacement. We reviewed our long-term outcomes of rheumatic MV repair and compared them with the outcomes of MV replacement in children with RHD. METHODS This study is a review of 419 children (≤18 years) with RHD who underwent primary isolated MV surgery between 1992 and 2015, which comprised MV repair (336 patients; 80.2%) and MV replacement (83 patients; 19.8%). The replacement group included mechanical MV replacements (MMVRs) (n = 69 patients; 16.5%) and bioprosthetic MV replacements (n = 14 patients; 3.3%). The mean age with standard deviation at the time of operation was 12.5 ± 3.5 (2-18) years. Mitral regurgitation (MR) was predominant in 390 (93.1%) patients, and 341 (81.4%) patients showed ≥3+ MR. The modified Carpentier reconstructive techniques were used for MV repair. RESULTS Overall early mortality was 1.7% (7 patients). The mean follow-up was 5.6 years (range 0-22.3 years; 94.7% complete). Survival of patients who underwent repair was 93.9% both at 10 and 20 years, which was superior than that of replacement (P < 0.001). Freedom from reoperation at 10 and 20 years after MV repair was 81.7% and 72.6%, respectively, compared to 83.2% for MV replacement (P = 0.580). Forty patients underwent reoperation after the initial surgery with no operative deaths. Mixed mitral lesion and postoperative residual MR (≥2+) were the predictors for reoperation in the repair group, whereas lower body surface area and usage of bioprosthesis were significant factors for the replacement group. Freedom from thrombotic, embolic and haemorrhagic events at 10 and 20 years for patients with repair was 98.2% compared to 90.1% in patients with replacement and 67.6% for patients with MMVR (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS Twenty-three years of follow-up shows that MV repair is superior to MMVR in children with RHD. Hence, the rheumatic MV should be repaired when technically feasible to maximize the survival and reduce the valve-related morbidity with comparable durability to MMVR.
FRI0255 LOW ATTENUATION NON-CALCIFIED CORONARY PLAQUES AND POSITIVE REMODELING INDEX: MARKERS OF VULNERABLE CORONARY PLAQUES IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Background: The presence of low attenuation noncalcified plaque (LANCP) and positive remodeling index (RI) are characteristic vessel changes in unstable coronary plaques. LANCP ( Coronary arterial remodeling describes changes of vessel size at the site of atherosclerotic lesions. Positive remodeling (expansion) of early lesions maintains lumen size despite plaque accumulation. This explains why these lesions might pass undetected by conventional angiography. Plaque rupture is often apparent at sites with only modest luminal stenoses but marked positive remodeling. Accelerated atherosclerosis leading to premature coronary artery disease remains the major cause of late death in SLE. Objectives: We sought to characterize LANCP and positive RI in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods: A total of 72 patients who met the ACR or SLICC classification criteria for SLE had CT angiogram studies, 30 of which had follow up CT angiograms. A total of 100 healthy controls who had two CT angiograms were included in the study. Each noncalcified plaque (NCP) detected within the vessel wall was evaluated for minimum CT density and vascular remodeling index. A LANCP was defined as an NCP with a density Results: Lupus patients had a significantly higher burden of LANCP at baseline compared to healthy controls in all age subgroups except in those >60 years of age. LANCP volume was associated with age (p Despite a significant progression of the total noncalcified plaque burden in lupus compared to controls (p There were only 5 cardiovascular events in the studied group and there were no differences in remodeling index or low density noncalcified plaque observed but the number of events was small. Conclusion: Lupus patients have a significantly higher burden of LANCP at baseline compared to healthy controls in all age subgroups except in those >60 years of age. The LANCP burden regresses more rapidly over time in lupus compared to controls. Surprisingly, the most significant LANCP plaque volume regression was seen in lupus patients who were never treated with statins, while the most significant progression was observed in those taking statins. Positive RI was ubiquitous, with no evidence of progression or differences compared to controls. These characteristic vessel changes may identify SLE patients at need for more frequent noninvasive cardiac monitoring. Acknowledgement: The Hopkins Lupus Cohort is funded by NIH AR RO-1 43727 and RO-1 69572 Disclosure of Interests: George Stojan: None declared, Jessica Li: None declared, Laurence Magder: None declared, Matthew Budoff: None declared, Michelle A Petri Shareholder of: Pfizer, Merck, Grant/research support from: AstraZeneca, Exagen, Consultant for: Eli Lilly, GSK, Merck EMD Serono, Janssen, Amgen, Novartis, Quintiles, Exagen, Inova Diagnostics, AstraZeneca, Blackrock, Glenmark, UCB, and the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences
Pilot Study of [18F] Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET)/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for Staging of Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC).

Abstract Introduction Computed tomography (CT) has limited diagnostic accuracy for staging of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). [18F] Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a novel imaging modality incorporating functional imaging with improved soft tissue characterization. This pilot study evaluated the use of preoperative FDG-PET/MRI for staging of MIBC. Patients and Methods Twenty-one patients with MIBC with planned radical cystectomy were enrolled. Two teams of radiologists reviewed FDG-PET/MRI scans to determine: (1) presence of primary bladder tumor; and (2) lymph node involvement and distant metastases. FDG-PET/MRI was compared with cystectomy pathology and computed tomography (CT). Results Eighteen patients were included in the final analysis, most (72.2%) of whom received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Final pathology revealed 10 (56%) patients with muscle invasion and only 3 (17%) patients with lymph node involvement. Clustered analysis of FDG-PET/MRI radiology team reads revealed a sensitivity of 0.80 and a specificity of 0.56 for detection of the primary tumor with a sensitivity of 0 and a specificity of 1.00 for detection of lymph node involvement when compared with cystectomy pathology. CT imaging demonstrated similar rates in evaluation of the primary tumor (sensitivity, 0.91; specificity, 0.43) and lymph node involvement (sensitivity, 0; specificity, 0.93) when compared with pathology. Conclusions This pilot single-institution experience of FDG-PET/MRI for preoperative staging of MIBC performed similar to CT for the detection of the primary tumor; however, the determination of lymph node status was limited by few patients with true pathologic lymph node involvement. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential role for FDG-PET/MRI in the staging of MIBC.
The non-invention of the ceramic arrowhead in world archaeology

Abstract Why, despite over 30,000 years of ceramic technology and tool diversity documented in the archaeological record – including examples of knapped ceramic scraping tools – was the ceramic arrowhead never invented? Here, we first review the use of ceramic projectile technology and tool use in the archaeological record. Then, via controlled ballistics tests, we investigate whether functional constraints played a role in this global non-invention. By creating “best case” and “worst case” models of ceramic arrowhead, and pitting them both against replica chipped stone counterparts, we show that the former perform significantly worse than the latter in terms of target penetrability and overall durability. By investigating “theoretical” artifacts, we can better understand the evolution of prehistoric technology and why the archaeological record appears the way it does.
An [Fe4S4]3+-Alkyl Cluster Stabilized by an Expanded Scorpionate Ligand.

Alkyl-ligated iron–sulfur clusters in the [Fe4S4]3+ charge state have been proposed as short-lived intermediates in a number of enzymatic reactions. In order to better understand the properties of ...
Local Infiltration of Tranexamic Acid (TXA) in Liposuction: A Single-Surgeon Outcomes Analysis and Considerations for Minimizing Postoperative Donor Site Ecchymosis.

BACKGROUND Tranexamic acid (TXA) has gained increasing recognition in plastic surgery as a dependable adjunct capable of minimizing blood loss, ecchymosis, and edema. To date, there have been limited data on the utilization of TXA to mitigate liposuction donor site ecchymosis. OBJECTIVES The authors sought to investigate whether infiltration of TXA into liposuction donor sites safely reduces postoperative ecchymosis. METHODS A single-surgeon retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze patients undergoing autologous fat transfer for breast reconstruction between 2016 and 2019. Following lipoaspiration, patients in the intervention group received 75 mL of TXA (3 g in NaCl 0.9%) infiltrated into the liposuction donor sites, whereas the historical controls did not. Patient demographics, degree of ecchymosis, surgical complications, and thromboembolic events were examined. A blinded assessment of postoperative photographs of the donor sites was performed. RESULTS Overall, 120 autologous fat grafting procedures were reviewed. Sixty patients received TXA, whereas 60 patients did not. Patient demographics and comorbidities were similar among the groups. No difference existed between groups regarding donor site locations, tumescent volume, lipoaspirate volume, or time to postoperative photograph. Ten blinded evaluators completed the assessment. The median bruising score of patients who received TXA was significantly lower than that of patients who did not (1.6/10 vs 2.3/10, P = 0.01). Postoperative complications were similar among the groups. Adverse effects of TXA were not observed. CONCLUSIONS Patients who received local infiltration of TXA into the liposuction donor sites were found to have less donor site ecchymosis than patients who did not. Further prospective randomized studies are warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4
Future of Decentralization

This Chapter examines the future of decentralization. While humans who were raised in a centralized world by default turn to centralized solutions for societal problems, decentralized approaches are more effective for global problems. Decentralized networks encourage interoperability through bureaucratic transparency. While the decentralized developer community is moving remarkably fast, inevitable improvements are still necessary. The chapter demonstrates that Bitcoin and Etherneum have provided primitive decentralized versions of currency and business con-tracts. The real task at hand is the construction of decentralized versions of all the rest of the institutions that business and society rely on. The chapter provides a guide for navigating the future decades of decentralization with a view towards the required experimentation with and failure of decentralized structures that help filter out the centralized impurities of a flawed understanding of decentralization.
Is a query worth translating: ask the users!

Users in many regions of the world are multilingual and they issue similar queries in different languages. Given a source language query, we propose query picking which involves finding equivalent target language queries in a large query log. Query picking treats translation as a search problem, and can serve as a translation method in the context of cross-language and multilingual search. Further, given that users usually issue queries when they think they can find relevant content, the success of query picking can serve as a strong indicator to the projected success of cross-language and multilingual search. In this paper we describe a system that performs query picking and we show that picked queries yield results that are statistically indistinguishable from a monolingual baseline. Further, using query picking to predict the effectiveness of cross-language results can have statistically significant effect on the success of multilingual search with improvements over a monolingual baseline. Multilingual merging methods that do not account for the success of query picking can often hurt retrieval effectiveness.
The Management of Foreign Exchange Risk by Microfinance Institutions and Microfinance Investment Funds

Although FX risk occurs in almost every transaction between microfinance investors (especially foreign investors) and MFIs, too many MFIFs and MFIs are not hedging appropriately. Hedging is seldom used because common hedging mechanisms are not available in the countries where MFIs operate, or prohibitively costly for the small amounts of the transactions involved. While hedging increases transaction costs, lack of hedging results in losses that can be significant, especially for MFIs and MFIFs that do not have well diversified portfolios.22
Use of Polymerase Chain Reaction To Detect the Take-All Fungus, Gaeumannomyces graminis, in Infected Wheat Plants

Gaeumannomyces graminis, the causative agent of take-all disease of wheat, barley, and oats, was detected in infected wheat seedlings by using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify Gaeumannomyces-specific DNA fragments. Nested primers and two rounds of amplification were used to amplify two fragments, approximately 287 and 188 bp in size, from G. graminis-infected wheat seedlings. The use of nested primers greatly decreased the number of nonspecific amplification products. Polymerase chain reaction products were not obtained with DNA from seedlings infected with several other phytopathogenic fungi or with DNA from uninfected seedlings. Amplified products were visualized on agarose gels, and their identities were confirmed by DNA hybridization. This method did not require culturing the fungus and has potential for detecting G. graminis in infested wheat, barley, or oat fields.
Biomechanically-Constrained 4D Estimation of Myocardial Motion

We propose a method for the analysis of cardiac images with the goal of reconstructing the motion of the ventricular walls. The main feature of our method is that the inversion parameter field is the active contraction of the myocardial fibers. This is accomplished with a biophysically-constrained, four-dimensional (space plus time) formulation that aims to complement information that can be gathered from the images by a priori knowledge of cardiac mechanics. Our main hypothesis is that by incorporating biophysical information, we can generate more informative priors and thus, more accurate predictions of the ventricular wall motion. In this paper, we outline the formulation, discuss the computational methodology for solving the inverse motion estimation, and present preliminary validation using synthetic and tagged MR images. The overall method uses patient-specific imaging and fiber information to reconstruct the motion. In these preliminary tests, we verify the implementation and conduct a parametric study to test the sensitivity of the model to material properties perturbations, model errors, and incomplete and noisy observations.
Network position and health care worker infections

We use a newly collected data set coupled with an agent-based model to study the spread of infectious disease in hospitals. We estimate the average and marginal infections created by various worker groups in a hospital as a function of their network position in order to identify groups most crucial in a hospital-based epidemic. Surprisingly, we find that many groups with primary patient care responsibilities play a small role in spreading an infectious disease within our hospital data set. We also demonstrate that the effect of different network positions can be as important as the effect of different transmission rates for some categories of workers.
Cuando Oliver se dio un beso con otro niño, con su mejor amigo, Dick. Lenguajes literarios y lenguajes violentos dirigidos a jóvenes LGBTQ en el sistema escolar

En este trabajo se analiza la forma en la que el lenguaje ofensivo contribuye al mantenimiento de la discriminacion contra jovenes LGBTQ en el sistema de educacion basica. Se argumenta que este problema es global, aunque se analiza el caso colombiano como forma de articular una respuesta local. Se muestran los resultados de un trabajo de campo realizado en colegios de estratos altos de Bogota, para ejemplificar las expresiones de odio que circulan en el entorno educativo. Tambien, se estudian piezas literarias, especialmente del escritor homosexual Fernando Molano Vargas, y se aboga por su inclusion dentro de los curriculos educativos. De esta forma, se intenta contraponer, a un lenguaje ofensivo, un lenguaje literario en el que se expresan formas de resistencia capaces de legitimar afectos no heterosexuales.
Soybean Response to Drainage and Subirrigation on a Claypan Soil in Northeast Missouri

Although agricultural drainage is a familiar system, using drainage as part of an integrated water management system (IWMS) is a relatively new concept that improves water quality and sustains agricultural viability (Fausey et al., 1995; Fisher et al., 1999; Allred et al., 2003; Drury et al., 1996, 2009). Subsurface drainage water from agricultural lands with properly installed IWMS can contribute to the quantity and quality of water in receiving streams. An IWMS uses subsurface drainage to remove excess water in the spring and fall for critical field operations, regulate water flow (managed drainage), and add water to the field through subirrigation (Belcher and D’Itri, 1995; Skaggs, 1999; Frankenberger et al., 2006). Drainage plus subirrigation provides water to the crop through the use of water level control structures, usually requires narrower drain spacings, and can be an efficient method of delivering water to the crop (Belcher and D’Itri, 1995; Brown et al., 1997; Skaggs, 1999). In a high-yield soybean production system, DSI with tile lines on 20 ft spacings increase soybean yields 24 bu/acre compared to a nonirrigated control on soils with a fragipan 14 to 30 inches deep in Ohio (Cooper et al., 1992). In narrow rows (7 inches), long-term soybean yields using DSI reached 80 bu/acre in the 1980s (Cooper et al., 1991). From November to May, upland, flat claypan soils commonly have a seasonal perched water table caused by an impermeable underlying argillic clay layer that restricts internal drainage. During summer, these soils quickly dry out and drought can devastate crop production. Previous research has evaluated the effects of drainage systems on response of corn (Walker et al., 1982; Sipp et al., 1986; Nelson et al., 2009), soybean (Walker et al., 1982; Sipp et al., 1984), and alfalfa (Rausch et al., 1990), but no studies to date have evaluated DSI as part of an IWMS on soybean response in a claypan soil. Simulation research for a Cisne silt loam (claypan soil in southern Illinois) called for a 20 ft drain tile spacing for DSI with good surface drainage, and 16 ft spacing when with poor surface drainage (Mostaghimi et al., 1985). However, research has neither verified these recommendations in the field, nor evaluated the effect of drain tile spacing on soybean response.
Development of surface morphology in multilayered films prepared by layer-by-layer deposition using poly(acrylic acid) and hydrophobically modified poly(ethylene oxide)

We report the fabrication of free-standing multilayered thin films based on the layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition method. The isolation of multilayer thin film allows us to characterize the materials properties of such films in great detail. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and hydrophobically modified poly(ethylene oxide) (HM-PEO) multilayer films have been prepared using the LbL method based upon hydrogen-bonding interactions. The LbL film composition and thermal properties were obtained as a function of the number of layer pairs using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) as well as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Above the critical number of layer pairs, the HM-PEO/PAA multilayer films exhibit complex surface structure owing to the hydrophobic nature of HM-PEO (i.e., micelle formation). The unique surface morphology was studied using optical microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, where pyrene dyes incorporated into the hydrophobic cores of HM-PEO micelles allowed us to monitor the sites of HM-PEO micelle...
Determination of nonstationary temperature fields and stresses in piecewise homogeneous circular plates on the basis of a numerical-analytic Laplace inversion formula

We investigate nonstationary temperature fields and stresses generated by them in piecewise homogeneous annular plates. An algorithm for the solution of the problem is based on the direct calculation of the Laplace transform and a modified Prudnikov formula for its inversion.
Prison Litigation and Bureaucratic Development

Malcolm M. Feeley and Edward Rubin are professors in the School of Law, University of California-Berkeley. This essay stems from the authors' continuing work on the impact of prison and jail conditions litigation which is supported by the Guggenheim Criminal Justice Program at the Center for the Study of Law and Society, University of California, Berkeley. The authors wish to acknowledge the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation for supporting this endeavor.
Cleavable C-terminal His-tag vectors for structure determination

High-throughput structural genomics projects seek to delineate protein structure space by determining the structure of representatives of all major protein families. Generally this is accomplished by processing numerous proteins through standardized protocols, for the most part involving purification of N-terminally His-tagged proteins. Often proteins that fail this approach are abandoned, but in many cases further effort is warranted because of a protein's intrinsic value. In addition, failure often occurs relatively far into the path to structure determination, and many failed proteins passed the first critical step, expression as a soluble protein. Salvage pathways seek to recoup the investment in this subset of failed proteins through alternative cloning, nested truncations, chemical modification, mutagenesis, screening buffers, ligands and modifying processing steps. To this end we have developed a series of ligation-independent cloning expression vectors that append various cleavable C-terminal tags instead of the conventional N-terminal tags. In an initial set of 16 proteins that failed with an N-terminal appendage, structures were obtained for C-terminally tagged derivatives of five proteins, including an example for which several alternative salvaging steps had failed. The new vectors allow appending C-terminal His(6)-tag and His(6)- and MBP-tags, and are cleavable with TEV or with both TEV and TVMV proteases.
Adequacy of plain radiography in the diagnosis of cervical spine injuries

Our hypotheses were (1) that plain radiography of the cervical spine in the evaluation of low risk patients with minor blunt trauma is accurate and (2) that computed tomography (CT) of the cervical spine in the evaluation of low risk patients is unnecessary. This study evaluates those hypotheses. We prospectively recorded findings of all patients with blunt trauma who underwent imaging over a period of 70 days. Injury status was determined by review of all radiographic studies obtained on each patient. Chart reviews were performed to determine mechanism of injury and neurological status. Patients were divided into three groups: very low risk, low risk, and high risk. Study end point was fracture. The study included 219 patients. The very low risk group had 107 patients, none of whom had fractures found on CT (projected specificity of plain radiography: 100%). The low risk group contained 78 patients who had no fractures seen on plain radiography or CT (specificity of plain radiography and CT: 100%). The high risk group consisted of 34 patients; 15 had fractures demonstrated on CT. Plain radiography missed one fracture out of 15. In low risk patients, plain radiography is an efficient diagnostic exam with a specificity of 100%. In high risk patients, plain radiography is a good adjunctive screening exam in conjunction with CT scan, with a sensitivity of 93.3% and specificity of 95%.
Sulfuric acid vapor and other cloud-related gases in the Venus atmosphere: Abundances inferred from observed radio opacity☆

It is suggested that the absorbing characteristics of sulfuric acid vapor appear to reconcile what had been thought to be an inconsistency among measurements and deductions regarding the constituents of the Venus atmosphere and radio occultation, radar reflection, and radio emission measurements of its opacity. Laboratory measurements of sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and carbon dioxide are used to model relative contributions to opacity as a function of height in a way that is consistent with observations of the constituents and absorbing properties of the atmosphere. It is concluded that sulfuric acid vapor is likely to be the principal microwave absorber in the 30-50 km altitude range of the middle atmosphere of Venus.
Antagonism of L-type Ca2+ channels CaV1.3 and CaV1.2 by 1,4-dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans as dihydropyridine mimics

The L-type calcium channel (LTCC) CaV1.3 is regarded as a new potential therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease. Calcium influx through CaV1.3 LTCC during autonomous pacemaking in adult dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta is related to the generation of mitochondrial oxidative stress in animal models. Development of a CaV1.3 antagonist selective over CaV1.2 is essential because CaV1.2 pore-forming subunits are the predominant form of LTCCs and are abundant in the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. We have explored 1,4-dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans to identify potent and selective antagonists of CaV1.3 relative to CaV1.2 LTCCs. A library of 36 dihydropyridine (DHP)-mimic 1,4-dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans was synthesized, and promising chiral compounds were resolved. The antagonism studies of CaV1.3 and CaV1.2 LTCCs using DHP mimic compounds showed that dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans are effective antagonists of DHPs for CaV1.3 LTCCs. Some 1,4-dihydropyrimidines are more selective than isradipine for CaV1.3 over CaV1.2, shown here by both calcium flux and patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments, where the ratio of antagonism is around 2–3. These results support the hypothesis that the modified hydrogen bonding donor/acceptors in DHP-mimic dihydropyrimidines and 4H-pyrans can interact differently with DHP binding sites, but, in addition, the data suggest that the binding sites of DHP in CaV1.3 and CaV1.2 LTCCs are very similar.
Soot Volume Fraction Profiles in Forced-Combusting Boundary Layers

A multiwavelength laser transmission technique is used to determine soot volume fraction fields and approximate particle size distributions in a forced flow combusting boundary layer. Measurements are made in diffusion flames of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and five liquid hydrocarbon fuels (n-heptane, iso-octane, cyclohexane, cyclohexene, and toluene) with ambient oxygen mass fractions in the range of 0.23< or approx. =Y/sub 0infinity/ < or approx. =0.50. Soot is observed in a region between the pyrolyzing fuel surface and the flame zone. Soot volume fraction increases monotonically with Y/sub 0infinity/ , e.g., n-heptane and PMMA are similar with soot volume fractions, f/sub v/, ranging from f/sub v/ approx.5 x 10/sup -7/ at Y/sub 0infinity/ = 0.23 to f/sub v/ approx.5 x 10/sup -6/ at Y/sub 0infinity/ = 0.50. For an oxygen mass fraction the same as air, Y/sub 0infinity/ = 0.23, soot volume fractions are approximately the same as values previously reported in pool fires and a free combusting boundary layer. However, the shape of the f/sub v/ profile changes with more soot near the flame in forced flow than in free flow due to the different y-velocity fields in these two systems. For all fuels tested, a most probable particle radius is betweenmore » 20 nm and 80 nm, and does not appear to change substantially with location, fuel, or oxygen mass fraction.« less
Estimate of molecular equivalents of antibody required for prophylaxis and therapy of poliomyelitis.

Calculations have been carried out which suggest that as few as 6 × 10 4 molecules of anti-poliovirus antibody per millilitre of serum may be sufficient to prevent the clinical disease under certain epidemic conditions. Other calculations have been made involving therapy of the experimental disease in monkeys and certain factors required for successful serum therapy have been discussed.
In-plane linear displacement bistable microrelay

In this paper we investigate the linear displacement bistable mechanism (LDBM) for use in microrelays. The LDBM, thermal actuators and contacts are integrated to demonstrate a relay design. The performance of the relay is characterized using relay performance metrics, including size (1.92 mm2), contact force (23.4 μN), switching time (340 μs), breakdown voltage (>475 V) and isolation (>235 V). The actuation voltage and current are 11 V and 85 mA, respectively. The ac characteristics, including contact-to-contact crosstalk and ac isolation are also measured. The testing results demonstrate that it is feasible to use the LDBM as a microrelay and that it has potential for use in future applications.
Studies on streptococcal bacteriophages. I. Burst size and intracellular growth of group A and group C streptococcal bacteriophages.

Evidence has been presented that the burst size in the Group A and Group C streptococcal phage-host systems are in general similar producing approximately 13 phage particles per infected coccus. The exception was the C1 phage which produced 10 times more virus particles than all the other phages tested. The eclipse period for the A25 phage-host system was found to extend for 34 min, while the C1 phage were found as early as 10 min after infection. Conclusive evidence has been presented indicating that mercuric ions at 2.5 x 10–6 M concentration have the ability to halt intracellular phage production at any point during the infective cycle of A25 bacteriophages. This blocking action can then be quickly reversed with the addition of reduced glutathione with subsequent completion of the viral cycle.
Heavy Metal Content in Plants from Family Lamiaceae Cultivated in an Industrially Polluted Region

ABSTRACT Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), and clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), cultivated at selected distances from a heavy metal pollution source (the Non-Ferrous Metal Works near Plovdiv, Bulgaria) were examined for heavy metal accumulation. The content of heavy metals in the roots, stems, leaves, and inflorescences, plus the heavy metal concentration in the essential oils obtained from clary sage and peppermint indicated that higher metal concentrations in the soil led to higher levels of the metals in plant tissues. Of the plants studied, clary sage had the highest and sage had the lowest concentrations. The plant that most strongly absorbed and accumulated heavy metals from the soil was Salvia sclarea, followed by Mentha × piperita, and Salvia officinalis. The content of Pb, Zn, and Cd in the leaves from sage and peppermint cultivated in the region of the metal works exceeded the maximum regulatory permissible concentrations and could be a potential danger if used as h...
An algorithm for the optimal design of passive vibration controllers for flexible systems

Abstract A gradient algorithm is developed for the optimal design of discrete passive dampers in the vibration control of a class of flexible (distributed parameter) systems. A complete mathematical development is presented for slender beams in flexural vibration. The algorithm systematically seeks to make the modal damping and natural frequencies of the system reach a set of preassigned values. Single damper and the two damper control examples indicate that the proposed algorithm converges faster than the Davison method used in reference [1] for those cases.
Immunogenic properties of ribosomes isolated from Brucella abortus

Abstract Ribosomes from Brucella abortus strain 19 were isolated by differential centrifugation. The 70S ribosomes were purified by pelleting through 0.5 M ammonium chloride and 30% sucrose. The resulting ribosomes were designated washed ribosomes and consisted of 64–65% RNA and 35–36% protein with sedimentation coefficients of 50S and 30S. When the washed ribosomes were tested by immunodiffusion against immune bovine sera, no precipitins were detectable. The immunogenic responses of the washed ribosomes were determined in guinea pigs, lemmings, and calves. Inoculation dosages as low as 1.0 microgram in guinea pigs and 0.1 microgram in lemmings protected against challenge with virulent B. abortus . Results of similar studies in a limited number of calves indicated that a dose of 1 mg may be protective. Brucella ribosomes did not appear to elicit marked undesirable side effects when used as immunizing agents.
A geometric characterization of H-sets

Abstract The concept of H sets with respect to a finite dimensional linear space of approx imation is extremely important, as these sets unify the theory of Chebyshev approx imaiion by, yielding a characterization of best approximates and conditions for uniqueness, and are also aids in the construction of algorithms for numerica computation. We study here the geometric characterization of H sets in terms of convex polyhedral cones or, in special cases, simplces. In particular we consider the characterization of minimal H sets and use this to find an upper bound for the number of possible minimal H sets with respect to a finite dimensional space.
Visible light communication using a digital camera and an LED flashlight

This paper presents an approach for optical communication via visible light using a focusable LED flashlight as the transmitting device and a digital camera as the receiver. One novelty of the approach is that the design can integrate generic off-the-shelf light source and camera components and is designed to work indoors under typical lighting conditions, i.e., overhead lighting and ambient daylight. The communication signal is transmitted as a sequence of (1,0) values that turn on/off the light source. A camera receives the signal by observing the presence/absence of the projected light spot on an intervening surface and converting this back into a (1,0) binary signal. The approach applies image processing techniques to compute the received signal from a recorded camera image.
MULTIPLE-STIMULUS PREFERENCE ASSESSMENTS: A COMPARISON OF FREE-OPERANT AND RESTRICTED-OPERANT FORMATS

We compared free-operant and restricted-operant multiple-stimulus preference assessments with three children diagnosed with mental retardation. The methods produced comparable results, although the free-operant assessment identified fewer potential reinforcers than the restricted-operant assessment. The highest- and lowest-ranked stimuli from both methods were subsequently evaluated in a concurrent-operants reinforcer assessment. All participants engaged in behavior that resulted in access to the highest-ranked stimuli the majority of the time, thus validating both preference assessment methods as effective in identifying reinforcers. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Epigenetic regulation of persistent pain

Persistent or chronic pain is tightly associated with various environmental changes and linked to abnormal gene expression within cells processing nociceptive signaling. Epigenetic regulation governs gene expression in response to environmental cues. Recent animal model and clinical studies indicate that epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the development or maintenance of persistent pain and possibly the transition of acute pain to chronic pain, thus shedding light in a direction for development of new therapeutics for persistent pain.