cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural principles within the human-virus protein-protein interaction network

General properties of the antagonistic biomolecular interactions between viruses and their hosts (exogenous interactions) remain poorly understood, and may differ significantly from known principles governing the cooperative interactions within the host (endogenous interactions). Systems biology approaches have been applied to study the combined interaction networks of virus and human proteins, but such efforts have so far revealed only low-resolution patterns of host-virus interaction. Here, we layer curated and predicted 3D structural models of human-virus and human-human protein complexes on top of traditional interaction networks to reconstruct the human-virus structural interaction network. This approach reveals atomic resolution, mechanistic patterns of host-virus interaction, and facilitates systematic comparison with the host’s endogenous interactions. We find that exogenous interfaces tend to overlap with and mimic endogenous interfaces, thereby competing with endogenous binding partners. The endogenous interfaces mimicked by viral proteins tend to participate in multiple endogenous interactions which are transient and regulatory in nature. While interface overlap in the endogenous network results largely from gene duplication followed by divergent evolution, viral proteins frequently achieve interface mimicry without any sequence or structural similarity to an endogenous binding partner. Finally, while endogenous interfaces tend to evolve more slowly than the rest of the protein surface, exogenous interfaces—including many sites of endogenous-exogenous overlap—tend to evolve faster, consistent with an evolutionary “arms race” between host and pathogen. These significant biophysical, functional, and evolutionary differences between host-pathogen and within-host protein-protein interactions highlight the distinct consequences of antagonism versus cooperation in biological networks.
An exploratory investigation into how socioeconomic attributes influence coupons redeeming intentions

Abstract In this study, we examine the effects that opportunity cost, income effect, coupon proneness and devaluation effect have on coupon redemption intention. Overall, the results of a survey received from approximately 2250 respondents suggest that prospect of savings and coupon proneness are positively associated, while opportunity cost is inversely associated with coupon redemption intention. The results are consistent across several sub-samples of grocery stores, which further underline the robustness of our hypotheses. Our analyses are more exhaustive than and therefore, contribute to, extant literature on promotions using coupons, because we base our study on behavioral, social and economic factors that influence coupon redemption intentions.
Synthesis and thermal decomposition of dithiocyanatobis(piperidine)cadmium(II)

Abstract Piperidine hydrothiocyanate has been used as a molten salt medium for the synthesis of dithiocyanatobis(piperidine)cadmium(II). This compound decomposes in five steps. The decomposition begins at 126 °C, with the first step being the loss of one molecule of piperidine per molecule of complex. The resulting [Cd(pip)(SCN) 2 ] appears to contain bridging thiocyanate ions. This reaction, the only one for which reliable kinetic parameters could be determined, appears to be of zero order with an activation energy of 63.6±5.2 kJ mol −1 .
Electro-optic polymer spatial light modulator based on a Fabry–Perot interferometer configuration

A spatial light modulator (SLM) based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer configuration has been fabricated and tested. The Fabry-Perot spacer layer is a thin film of the SEO100 electro-optic polymer which serves as the nonlinear medium. Measurement results demonstrate the modulation of multiple pixels operating simultaneously at frequencies ranging from 300 kHz to 800 kHz which is significantly faster than SLMs based on liquid crystal and digital micromirror device technology. An average modulation contrast of 50% for all pixels is achieved with a drive voltage of 70 Vrms at 100 kHz. Microwave speeds and CMOS compatibility are feasible with improved transmission line and cavity design.
Spatial random trees with applications to image classification

We develop a new methodology for constructing hierarchical stochastic image models called spatial random trees (SRTs) which admit polynomial-complexity exact inference algorithms. We use our framework of multitree dictionaries as the starting point for this construction. We develop an efficient algorithm for computing the EM updates and use it to estimate the model parameters. We illustrate our models and algorithms through image classification experiments.
Arthropod Parasites Collected from White-Tailed Deer

5864 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Cuba were examined for ectoparasites. Most of the collections were made in the southeastern United States. Twenty-five species of arthropods were found which included Metastigmata: Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum, Boophilus annulatus, B. microplus, Dermacentor albipictus, D. nigrolineatus, D. nitens, D. variabilis, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes affinis, I. scapularis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus; Prostigmata; Eutrombicula sp., Neotrombicula whartoni; Astigmata: Demodex sp., Psoroptes sp.; Mesostigmata: Raillietia auris; Anoplura: Haematopinus suis, Solenopotes binipilosus; Mallophaga: Tricholipeurus lipeuroides, T. parallelus; Diptera: Cephenemyia Phobifera, Lipoptena cervi, L mazamae; Siphonaptera: Cediopsylla simplex.
SU-FF-T-104: Arc Sequencing — An Inverse Planning Technique for Intensity Modulated Arc Therapy

Purpose: Intensity modulated arc therapy (IMAT) is a rotational approach to IMRT in which the leaves of the multileaf collimator move continuously during arced beam delivery. Overlapping arcs are used to deliver optimized intensity patterns from each beam direction. Despite the promising nature of IMAT, its potential has gone largely unrealized due to a lack of robust inverse planning tools. To address this, we have developed an IMAT arc sequencing algorithm that translates optimized intensity maps into deliverable IMAT plans. Material and Methods: The arc‐sequencing algorithm uses simulated annealing to simultaneously optimize the aperture shapes and weights throughout each arc. The sequencer enforces the delivery constraints while minimizing the discrepancies between the optimized and sequenced intensity maps. The performance of the arc sequencer has been tested for ten patient cases. An IMRT plan was developed for each case using the Pinnacle3treatment planning system, and the arc sequencer translated the optimized plans into deliverable IMAT plans. Results: Ten IMAT patient plans were developed covering the following sites: 3 prostate, 3 brain, 2 head‐and‐neck, 1 lung, and 1 pancreas. Seven coplanar IMAT plans were created using an average of 4.6 arcs and 685 monitor units. Additionally, three noncoplanar plans were created using an average of 16 arcs and 498 monitor units. The results demonstrate that efficient IMAT delivery plans can be developed that combine the dosimetric advantages of arc therapy with the dose painting capabilities of IMRT. Only modest degradation was seen between the pre and post sequenced plans. Plan accuracy was verified using Monte Carlo dose calculations with each arc approximated as static beams separated by two degrees. An average sequencing time of under 25 minutes was observed. Conclusions: An arc‐sequencing algorithm has been developed that can serve as the first robust inverse planning tool for IMAT.
SeaWinds-1B: a combination of Ku-band scatterometer and wind radiometer for global ocean wind measurements

Satellite wind scatterometers are microwave radar instruments designed specifically to measure near-surface wind speed and direction over the global ocean. NASA has a long term commitment to ocean wind remote sensing, starting from Seasat- A satellite scatterometer (SASS), through NASA scatterometer (NSCAT), to SeaWinds. SASS was launched in June 1978 and operated for three months. NSCAT was launched on Japan's Advanced Earth Observation Satellite (ADEOS) in August 1996 and SeaWinds will be launched on ADEOS-2 in 1999. As a continuation of the NASA wind measurement program, we are developing a next generation wind vector measurement instrument, called SeaWinds-1B, scheduled to be launched in the year 2003 on Japan's Advanced Earth Observation Satellite- 3 (ADEOS). The purpose of this paper is to present the system parameters and system design of this new instrument. SeaWinds- 1B is a combination of two instruments into a single design: scatterometer, and polarimetric wind-radiometer (WINDRAD). The scatterometer instrument is used as a baseline to continue the active microwave wind measurements. The WINDRAD instrument is incorporated to demonstrate a new concept of wind vector measurements from space using polarimetric radiometer. WINDRAD can also be used to measure the atmospheric attenuation to improve the scatterometer measurement accuracy. Furthermore, the combination of the scatterometer and WINDRAD will improve the accuracy of the wind vector measurements and the skills for removing the wind direction retrieval ambiguity.
Variables associated with radioimmunoassay of prostaglandins in plasma

Abstract This study examined a number of variables which influence radioimmunoassay measurements of prostaglandins in plasma. Comparative assays in specimens obtained from normal subjects and processed by different methods demonstrated that prostaglandin measurements were uniformly lower when blood was anticoagulated with EDTA, aspirin or indomethacin was added to inhibit further synthesis of prostaglandins in vitro , samples were centrifuged at 4°C at speeds which removed platelets from the sample, and assays were performed when plasma was thawed for the first time. Examination of assay results also revealed that the presence of unextracted plasma enhanced the binding of labeled ligands to antisera (%B o ) but thereafter, the displacement of ligand by increasing quantities of the reference prostaglandin paralleled the results in buffer throughout the range of the assay. In subsequent studies therefore the %B o for plasma assays was adjusted on the basis of ligand binding in the presence of comparable volumes of pooled plasma from aspirin-treated subjects. Results of 7 prostaglandin assays in plasma and serum of normal subjects are reported.
Reconstructing the human ribcage in 3d with x-rays and geometric models

To avoid lung disease, regular preemptive screenings are an absolute necessity. This article describes a technique that creates a 3D reconstruction of the ribcage without expensive scanners. One of the major uses of this 3D reconstruction software would be as a medical visualization tool that would show the real shape of a ribcage. This 3D reconstruction method could be combined with diagnosis software to help detect lung cancer, to generate 3D size estimates, and to improve visualization of affected regions.
Learning science through guided discovery: liquid water and molecular networks

Abstract In every drop of water, down at the scale of atoms and molecules, there is a world that can fascinate anyone. The objective of “Learning science through guided discovery: liquid water and molecular networks” is to use advanced technology to provide a window into the submicroscopic, and thereby allow students to discover by themselves an entire new world. We are developing a coordinated two-fold approach to high school science teaching in which a cycle of hands-on activities, games, and experimentation is followed by a cycle of computer simulations employing the full power of computer animation to “ZOOM” into the depths of this newly discovered world. Pairing of laboratory experiments with corresponding simulations challenges students to understand multiple representations of concepts. We thereby provide students with the opportunity to work in a fashion analogous to that in which practicing scientists work - e.g., by “building up” to general principles from specific experiences. Moreover, the ability to visualize “real-time” dynamic motions allows for student-controlled graphic simulations on the molecular scale, and interactive guided lessons superior to those afforded by even the most artful of texts. While our general approach could be applied to a variety of topics, we have chosen to focus first on the most familiar of molecular networks, that of liquid water. Later we will test the generality of the approach by exploring macromolecules such as proteins and DNA.
Ecological, behavioural and nutritional factors influencing use of palms as host plants by a Neotropical forest grasshopper

This study focused on relationships between a tropical forest grasshopper and a major group of its host plants. Microtylopteryx hebardi (Acrididae:Ommatolampinae) at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, feeds on understorey palms as well as other understorey plants. We assessed leaf damage levels in populations of three geonomoid palm species (Geonoma cuneata, Geonama congcsta, Asterogyne martiana), investigated feeding response of M. hebardi to the three palms, and examined leaf characteristics presumed to be important to herbivores. In understorey and gapedge habitats, total leaf damage did not differ significantly between palm species. In the centre of small light gaps, where M. hebardi was most abundant, total leaf damage and total herbivory on G. cuneata was equal to that on the other species, but herbivory attributable to grasshoppers was significantly greater. Female M. hebardi showed strong preference for G. cuneata over the other palm species in laboratory feeding trials. Experiments to elucidate the proximate basis for this feeding preference showed that grasshoppers preferentially bit filter paper discs containing cuticular wax extract of G. cuneata. In consumption and digestibility experiments, grasshoppers consumed more fresh weight of G. cuneata and gained more weight per unit time spent feeding on this species. Leaves of G. cuneata had the highest percentage water content, highest fresh and dry mass per unit leaf area, and the lowest percentage crude lignin among the three palms studied. These factors may partially explain the preference of M. hebardi for G. cuneata, which was reflected in higher herbivory rates incurred by G. cuneata in sites where M. hebardi was locally abundant.
Updated evaluation of the migration of styrene monomer and oligomers from polystyrene food contact materials to foods and food simulants

Due to the 2011 labelling of styrene monomer as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the controversy over whether styrene oligomers mimic the physiological effects of estrogen, an updated review of styrene monomer and oligomers in food and food contact materials (FCMs) was performed. The concentrations of styrene monomer and oligomers were determined in 24 polystyrene (PS) products and ranged from 9.3 to 3100 mg kg(-1) for the styrene monomer, 130-2900 mg kg(-1) for the sum of three styrene dimers, and 220-16,000 mg kg(-1) for the sum of six styrene trimers. Foods in contact with PS packaging had styrene monomer concentrations ranging from 2.6 to 163 ng g(-1); dimer concentrations from the limit of quantitation (LOQ) to 4.8 ng g(-1) and trimer concentrations were all below the LOQ (2 ng g(-1)). Diffusion coefficients (Dp) and partition coefficients (K) were also calculated for styrene dimers and trimers. The results presented here indicate that styrene monomer concentrations in foods have not significantly changed since the 1980s and monomer concentrations in food packaging quantified in this study were all below USFDA limits. Although styrene dimers and trimers are present in higher concentrations in PS FCMs than the monomer, their migration to food is limited because of their high K values (4 × 10(2) to 2 × 10(6)) and their low diffusion coefficients in PS products. Additionally, diffusion coefficients calculated using USFDA-recommended food simulants and Arrhenius plots describing the temperature dependence of styrene dimers and trimers can be used in future calculations of dietary intake of the styrene oligomers.
Auditory thalamocortical transformation: structure and function

Communicative, predatory, and reproductive behaviors rely on the auditory thalamocortical system, a key nexus that combines, transforms, and distributes virtually all acoustic information relevant to survival. The rules of connectivity for this complex network, both anatomically and functionally, are only beginning to be uncovered. Although the auditory thalamocortical system shares many features with other modalities, its connectivity and information processing principles differ from those of other modalities in many ways. Some physiological and anatomical bases for these differences are the subject of this review.
Interactional effects of marital status and physical abuse on adolescent psychopathology.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the interactional effects of parental marital disruption and physical abuse on risk for adolescent psychopathology in a nonclinical sample with a randomly selected control group. Method: The sample was drawn from 99 community-based adolescents indicated as physically abused by Child Protective Services and 99 randomly selected controls. Nonabused adolescents whose parents were married, abused adolescents whose parents were married, nonabused adolescents with a parental marital disruption, and abused adolescents with a parental marital disruption were compared. Outcome was psychopathology as measured by psychiatric diagnosis based on a best-estimate procedure subsequent to semistructured diagnostic interviewing. Results: Interactional effects of marital disruption and abuse were found for risk for lifetime Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with parental marital disruption and having been physically abused combining to increase the risk 15 times for diagnosis of lifetime ADHD. Parental marital status alone was not a significant risk factor for adolescent psychopathology, but physical abuse was a significant risk factor for several diagnostic categories. Conclusions: Future divorce research should include abuse history as a possible confounding variable. Possible reasons for the findings are reviewed and clinical implications are discussed.
Stochastic processes with independent increments, taking values in a Hilbert space

Abstract Let H be a real separable Hilbert space; let X ( t ), tϵ [0, 1], be a separable, stochastically continuous, H -valued stochastic process with independent increments. Then a decomposition of X ( t ) into a uniformly convergent sum of independent processes is found. In this decomposition one of the processes is Gaussian with continuous sample functions, and the remainder of the processes have sample functions whose discontinuities correspond to those of certain real-valued Poisson processes. The decomposition of X ( t ) leads to a Levy-Khintchine representation of the characteristic functional of X ( t ). In addition, the case when X ( t ) has finite variance is explored, and, as a consequence of the above decomposition, a Kolmogorov-type representation of the characteristic functional of X ( t ) is derived.
Bicuspid Aortic Valves and Dilated Aortas: A Critical Review of the Critical Review of the ACC/AHA Practice Guidelines Recommendations

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) practice guidelines have helped define the standard of cardiovascular care in the United States and are widely accepted as the basis for the evidence-based practice of cardiovascular medicine by the providers and the payers of health care and by the developers of clinical performance measures. However, the evidence base for these guidelines is fragmented. Despite the large number of randomized, multicenter cardiovascular clinical trials that are the underpinning for many of the class I guidelines recommendations, most guidelines recommendations are based on consensus of expert opinion rather than solid evidence derived from clinical trials. This is particularly the case in the area of valvular heart disease, in which there is a paucity of prospective clinical trials. However, the ACC/AHA guidelines on valvular heart disease are not unique in this regard. A review of the ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction 1 and the ACC/ AHA guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic heart failure, 2 2 subjects for which there is a wealth of randomized clinical trial data, indicates that only 63 of a total of 311 class I recommendations (20%) are based on level of evidence A (supported by the results on multiple randomized trials), whereas 139 (45%) are considered level of evidence C (based only on expert opinion). Such recommendations are open to legitimate difference of opinion and can often be called into question. In the current issue of The American Journal of Cardiology, guidelines expert opinion is indeed called into question by Dr. Warren Guntheroth 3 on the subject of the management of patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) and dilatation of the aortic root or ascending aorta. His “critical review” of the ACC/AHA 2006 guidelines for the management of patients with valvular heart disease 4 is indeed very critical. Several of these criti
A Connectionist Approach to Knowledge Representation and Limited Inference

Although the connectionist approach has lead to elegant solutions to a number of problems in cognitive science and artificial intelligence, its suitability for dealing with problems in knowledge representation and inference has often been questioned. This paper partly answers this criticism by demonstrating that effective solutions to certain problems in knowledge representation and limited inference can be found by adopting a connectionist approach. The paper presents a connectionist realization of semantic networks, that is, it describes how knowledge about concepts, their properties, and the hierarchical relationship between them may be encoded as an interpreter-free massively parallel network of simple processing elements that can solve an interesting class of inheritance and recognition problems extremely fast—in time proportional to the depth of the conceptual hierarchy. The connectionist realization is based on an evidential formulation that leads to principled solutions to the problems of exceptions and conflicting multiple inheritance situations during inheritance, and the best-match or partial-match computation during recognition. The paper also identifies constraints that must be satisfied by the conceptual structure in order to arrive at an efficient parallel realization.
Synthesis kinetics and sequence distribution in synthetic polynucleotides

A simple kinetic model for the formation of a nucleotide homopolymer is presented and evaluated. It consists of an initial dinucleotide formation followed by growth through further monomer addition and a competitive phosphorolysis. The molecular weight distribution is narrow up to the first 10–30% conversion and broadens on approach to equilibrium. From the equilibrium amounts of phosphate liberated, the final average molecular weight, and the time pattern of the synthesis, it is possible to obtain estimates of the rate constants. Turning to copolymers, the analysis of experimental data on sequence frequencies in an AU polymer in terms of addition probabilities indicates the existence of a penultimate effect, and a consistent set of four such probability parameters is derived. Finally, we consider a set of rate equations for binary copolymer formation suggested by these results. Their solution will permit a calculation of sequence distributions by utilizing kinetic experimental results exclusively.
OMP-based detector design for space shift keying in large MIMO systems

We investigate the detector design in generalized space shift keying (GSSK) modulation for large MIMO systems. An orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) based detector design is adopted due to its low complexity compared with the maximum likelihood (ML) detector. To improve the performance of the OMP algorithm, our first design is to propose an equalizer at the receiver in order to orthogonalize the equivalent channel matrix; our second design is to propose an equalizer whose columns pursue orthonormality to the columns of the channel matrix. We obtain closed-form expressions of the equalizers under the two design objectives. Simulation results demonstrate the performance superiority compared with the standard OMP algorithm.
Topographic Quantitative EEG Measures of Alpha and Theta Power Changes during Caffeine Withdrawal: Preliminary Findings from Normal Subjects:

Neurophysiological consequences of withdrawal from caffeine are poorly understood. In particular, quantitative studies of EEG changes that may occur during the period of caffeine abstinence in caffeine dependent individuals have not been reported. In this pilot study, 13 physically- and psychiatrically-normal caffeine users were asked to abstain from caffeine for a period of 4 days. Quantitative EEGs were obtained prior to stopping caffeine and on Days 1, 2, and 4 of the caffeine abstinence period. Results indicated that significant increases in alpha and theta absolute power accompany the caffeine withdrawal process with return to the pre-abstinent EEG levels when caffeine usage is resumed. The implications of these findings are discussed with special reference to the possible need to control for the variable of caffeine usage in quantitative EEG studies of other phenomena.
Robust designs for serially correlated observations

SUMMARY The presence of serial correlation affects the design strategy of a statistical experiment. It is the object of this paper to construct robust and efficient designs under such conditions. Special consideration is given to the two-level factorial designs and weighing designs.
Accountability, Autonomy, and Academic Freedom in Educator Preparation Programs

As external pressures on teacher education programs mount, including recent federal critiques and requirements, institutions and their faculty must consider how they will respond to calls for increased accountability. This article discusses the legal and policy issues associated with the academic freedom claims that might arise in the current atmosphere of increased accountability and diminished autonomy for teacher education programs. It assesses the institutional academic freedom interests of both public and private institutions. It also addresses the potential outcome of academic freedom claims by individual faculty.
Comparative cryobiological traits and requirements for gametes and gonadal tissues collected from wildlife species

A major challenge to retaining viability of frozen gametes and reproductive tissues is to understand and overcome species-specificities, especially because there is substantial diversity in cryobiological properties and requirements among cell types and tissues. Systematic studies can lead to successful post-thaw recovery, especially after determining: 1) membrane permeability to water and cryoprotectant, 2) cryoprotectant toxicity, 3) tolerance to osmotic changes, and 4) resistance to cooling and freezing temperatures. Although species-dependency ultimately dictates the ability of specific cells and tissues to survive freeze-thawing, there are commonalities between taxa that allow a protocol developed for one species to be useful information for another. This is the reason for performing comparative cryopreservation studies among diverse species. Our laboratory has compared cellular cryotolerance, especially in spermatozoa, in a diverse group of animals—from corals to elephants—for more than 30 yrs. Characterizing the biophysical traits of gametes and tissues is the most efficient way to develop successful storage and recovery protocols, but, such data are only available for a few laboratory, livestock, and fish species, with virtually all others (wild mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians) having gone unstudied. Nonetheless, when a rare animal unexpectedly dies, there is no time to understand the fundamentals of biophysics. In these emergencies, it is necessary to rely on experience and the best data from taxonomically-related species. Fortunately, there are some general similarities among most species, which, for example, allow adequate post-thaw viability. Regardless, there is a priority for more information on biophysical traits and freezing tolerance of distinctive biomaterials, especially for oocytes and gonadal tissues, and even for common, domesticated animals. Our colleague, Dr John Critser was a pioneer in cryobiology, earning that moniker because of his advocacy and devotion to understanding the differences (and similarities) among species to better store living genetic material.
Site-Directed Mutagenesis of Glutamate 317 of Bovine α-1,3Galactosyltransferase and Its Effect on Enzyme Activity: Implications for Reaction Mechanism

Bovine alpha1,3galactosyltransferase (alpha1,3GalT) transfers galactose from UDP-alpha-galactose to terminal beta-linked galactosyl residues with retention of configuration of the incoming galactose residue. The epitope synthesized has been shown to be critical for xenotransplantation. According to a proposed double-displacement reaction mechanism, glutamate-317 (E317) is thought to be the catalytic nucleophile. The proposed catalytic role of E317 involves an initial nucleophilic attack with inversion of configuration and formation of a covalent sugar-enzyme intermediate between E317 and galactose from the donor substrate, followed by a second nucleophilic attack performed by the acceptor substrate with a second inversion of configuration. To determine whether E317 of alpha1,3GalT is critical for enzyme activity, site-directed mutagenesis was used to substitute alanine, aspartic acid, cysteine and histidine for E317. If the proposed reaction mechanism for the alpha1,3GalT enzyme is correct, E317D and E317H would produce active enzymes since they can act as nucleophiles. The non-conservative mutation E317A and conservative mutation E317C are predicted to produce inactive or very low activity enzymes since the E317A mutant cannot engage in a nucleophilic attack, and the E317C mutant would trap the galactose residue. The results obtained demonstrate that E317D and E317H mutants retained activity, albeit significantly less than the wild-type enzyme. Additionally, both E317A and E317C mutant also retained enzyme activity, suggesting that E317 is not the catalytic nucleophile proposed in the double-displacement mechanism. Therefore, either a different amino acid may act as the catalytic nucleophile or the reaction must proceed by a different mechanism.
Quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) loss due to smoking in the United States

Purpose Estimate quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) loss due to smoking and examine trends and state differences in smoking-related QALE loss in the U.S.
Imaging penetrating radiation through ion photon emission microscopy

The ion photon emission microscope (IPEM), a new radiation effects microscope for the imaging of single event effects from penetrating radiation, is being developed at Sandia National Laboratories and implemented on the 88" cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories. The microscope is designed to permit the direct correlation between the locations of high-energy heavy-ion strikes and single event effects in microelectronic devices. The development of this microscope has required the production of a robust optical system that is compatible with the ion beam lines, design and assembly of a fast single photon sensitive measurement system to provide the necessary coincidence, and the development and testing of many scintillating films. A wide range of scintillating material for application to the ion photon emission microscope has been tested with few meeting the stringent radiation hardness, intensity, and photon lifetime requirements. The initial results of these luminescence studies and the current operation of the ion photon emission microscope will be presented. Finally, the planned development for future microscopes and ion luminescence testing chambers will be discussed.
Ligand-controlled rates of photoinduced electron transfer in hybrid CdSe nanocrystal/poly(viologen) films

This paper describes a study of the rates of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to poly(viologen) within thin films, as a function of the length of the ligands passivating the QDs. Ultrafast (<10 ps), quantitative PET occurs from CdSe QDs coated with HS-(CH2)n-COOH for n = 1, 2, 5, and 7 to viologen units. The observed decrease in the magnitude of the PET rate constant with n is weaker than that expected from the decay of the electron tunneling probability across extended all-trans mercaptocarboxylic acids but well-described by electron tunneling across a collapsed ligand shell. The PET rate constants for films with n = 10 and 15 are much slower than those expected based on the trend for n = 1–7; this deviation is ascribed to the formation of bundles of ligands on the surface of the QD that make the tunneling process prohibitively slow by limiting access of the viologen units to the surfaces of the QDs. This study highlights the importance of molecular-level morphology of do...
Off-flavor in commercial catfish ponds resulting from molinate contamination

Abstract Fish from two commercial catfish ponds were afflicted with an off-flavor characteristic of the herbicide, molinate. Objective and sensory analysis of fish, water, and sediment from these ponds resulted in the isolation of molinate at parts per billion concentration. Other compounds, 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin more commonly associated with off-flavor, were not detected. In laboratory studies the molinate off-flavor was duplicated when market weight fish were exposed to as little as 0.5 μg/l concentrations of this compound.
A suggested design for tips of aneurysmal clips: a new concept.

A suggested design with respect to the tips of aneurysm clips is described. Its advantages are mentioned.
A TEST WITH SELECTED TOPOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF PIAGET'S HYPOTHESIS CONCERNING THE SPATIAL REPRESENTATION OF THE YOUNG CHILD

One task of mathematics educators is to introduce various mathematical concepts into a comprehensive mathematics program designed for students in kindergarten through grade 12. The sequencing of these concepts is sometimes determined by the mathematics involved, sometimes by the experiences deemed appropriate for a student's needs in his particular physical surroundings, sometimes by the cognitive readiness of the student, sometimes by tradition, and sometimes by mere chance. In the case of geometry, the sequence has traditionally followed the order of the historical development of geometry, that is, from Euclidean geometry to the more general geometries. Jean Piaget (1967) contends that the child's conception of space actually develops in reverse order to this traditional approach. He asserts that topological concepts develop prior to Euclidean concepts in the child's conception of space. The projective and Euclidean concepts, then, derive from the topological concepts. The major purpose of this study was to test Piaget's hypothesis, as outlined in The Child's Conception of Space, that the four-year-old child's representational space is predominantly topological in nature.
Engine Start Simulation on an Engine Transient Test System: Hardware and Controls

The goal of this research is to use a hydrostatic transient dynamometer combined with new control techniques to replicate multi-cylinder engine dynamics which occur while the engine is started by an electric starting system. The transient engine dynamometer test system in the Powertrain Control Research Laboratory (PCRL) uses a torque tube and extremely stiff driveline in order to provide a very high bandwidth of torque actuation. The design and nature of this low inertia, stiff system requires that a standard electrical starting system be omitted. One of the objectives of this research was to assemble a new engine on the hydrostatic dynamometer and model the starting dynamics which occur during an engine cold start. The other objective was to verify and compare data collected by the PCRL and Ford to validate testing. This information will then be used in support of development of a cold start testing procedure on the single-cylinder engine transient test system in the PCRL.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
An Evaluation of Charcoal Cloth as a Potential Field Monitor for the Efficacy of Chemical Protective Clothing

Abstract Generally the results of manufacturers' permeation tests are used to select chemical protective clothing. However, these test results are subject to several sources of error. In addition, certain conditions, such as temperature, exposure time and duration, immobility of the garment, and sample thickness, which is dependent on the location from which the garment is sampled for testing, are controlled in the experiment in ways which may not reflect actual use conditions. The only way to accurately determine the efficacy of a garment is to monitor its permeation resistance in the field. For volatile permeants this is difficult, since the most obvious way to trap these compounds after permeation is with a sorbent, and the efficiency of this process is not certain given the natural ventilation that occurs during use of protective clothing, especially gloves. In this study charcoal cloth was made into gloves and used beneath polyvinylchloride gloves to monitor permeation. The glove system was flexed at...
A factorial study of the reasoning and closure factors

A battery of 46 tests was given to 237 college men. A factor analysis using the Thurstone technique revealed eight clearly interpretable first-order factors, one dubious factor, and a residual factor. The factors were interpreted as induction, deduction, flexibility of closure, speed of closure, space, verbal comprehension, word fluency, and number. Four second-order factors were abstracted from the matrix of first-order correlations. The presence of induction, deduction, and flexibility of closure on the first second-order factor, interpreted as an analytic factor, confirmed previous indications of relationships between the reasoning and closure factors. A second bipolar factor is interpreted as a speed of association factor. The third factor is interpreted as facility in handling meaningful verbal materials—perhaps an ability to do abstract thinking. The fourth factor is possibly a second-order closure factor—perhaps an ability to do concrete thinking.
Spatially resolved cloud structure on Uranus: Implications of near-IR adaptive optics imaging☆

Abstract Seven-band near-IR adaptive optics imaging of Uranus by the Keck II telescope during 2004, with the assistance of selected Hubble Space Telescope images, provides new constraints on the uranian vertical cloud structure and CH4 mixing ratio, after tuned deconvolutions are applied to remove significant limb darkening distortions. The most strongly absorbing bands approximately agree with the stratospheric haze model of Rages et al. [Rages, K., Pollack, J.B., Tomasko, M.G., Doose, L.R., 1991. Icarus 89, 359–376]. The next most absorbing bands suggest a CH4 relative humidity of 50–60% above the 1.2-bar condensation level. Window channels imply effective cloud pressures at 12° S that vary from 9 to 3.5 bars, and reflectivity values that vary from 7 to 4%, as the assumed CH4 mixing ratio varies from 0.75 to 4%. The shape of the center-to-limb radiance profile is in best agreement with the deep cloud being translucent, with relatively low optical depth, and is most consistent with low methane mixing ratios (0.75–1%) if the cloud particles are conservative. Non-conservative particles provide good fits over a wide range of mixing ratios. If C and S are enhanced by the same factor over solar mixing ratios, then the cloud pressures inferred from near-IR observations would be less than H2S condensation pressures for methane mixing ratios of ∼1.3% or greater. The bright band at 45° S must be partly produced by increased particulate scattering at pressures ∼2 bars to be consistent with its absence in 1.9-μm images and its presence in 0.619-μm images. The reflectivity of the lower clouds declines to nearly negligible values in the northern hemisphere, where I / F observations beyond 50° N are nearly those of a clear atmosphere. The most surprising result is the general lack of scattering originating from the 1.2-bar region where methane is expected to condense. Exceptions occur for discrete features. A large and long-lived discrete feature at 34° S is associated with particulates near 700 mb and ∼4.5 bars. The highest discrete feature, near 26° N, reached pressures ∼200 mb and was eleven times brighter than the background atmosphere in K ′ images.
Statistical detection and imaging of objects hidden in turbid media using ballistic photons

We exploit recent advances in active high-resolution imaging through scattering media with ballistic photons. We derive the fundamental limits on the accuracy of the estimated parameters of a mathematical model that describes such an imaging scenario and compare the performance of ballistic and conventional imaging systems. This model is later used to derive optimal single-pixel statistical tests for detecting objects hidden in turbid media. To improve the detection rate of the aforementioned single-pixel detectors, we develop a multiscale algorithm based on the generalized likelihood ratio test framework. Moreover, considering the effect of diffraction, we derive a lower bound on the achievable spatial resolution of the proposed imaging systems. Furthermore, we present the first experimental ballistic scanner that directly takes advantage of novel adaptive sampling and reconstruction techniques.
“Colony and Metropole: The New Imperial History”

In recent decades, a disparate body of scholarship grouped loosely under the rubric “new imperial history” has begun reconsidering colonies and metropoles within the same historiographical field. D...
A sister's risk: Family history as a predictor of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

OF PREGNANCY DARCY CARR, MEIRA EPPLEIN, CATHERINE JOHNSON, THOMAS EASTERLING, CATHY CRITCHLOW, University of Washington, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seattle, Washington, University of Washington, Epidemiology, Seattle, Washington OBJECTIVE: To determine if women with gestational hypertension (gHTN) or preeclampsia (PE) are more likely to have a sister with a history of hypertension in pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: A population-based case-control study was performed using data from WA State birth certificates linked to maternal and infant discharge records from the birth hospitalization. 10,723 nulliparous women (gHTN, N = 1611; PE, N = 1071; normotensive, N = 8041) who delivered their first child between 1987 and 2002 and had a sister with a prior delivery in WA State during the same time period were studied. Stratified analyses with MantelHaenszel procedures were used to obtain odds ratio (OR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: Women with any hypertensive condition in pregnancy were 1.7 times (95% CI 1.5-2.0) more likely to have a sister who was hypertensive during pregnancy. Women who had gHTN were 1.6 times (95% CI 1.3-2.0) more likely to have a sister who had a history of gHTN and were 1.5 times (95% CI 1.2-2.0) more likely to have a sister who had PE. Women with PE were 1.8 times (95% CI 1.4-2.3) more likely to have a sister with a history of gHTN and 2.3 times (95% CI 1.8-2.9) more likely to have a sister with PE. Similar results were obtained following stratification by the sisterś degree of relation (full sisters, N = 9513: gHTN OR 1.6, 95%CI 1.2-2.0; PE OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8-3.1; half sisters, N = 794: gHTN OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.9-4.8; PE OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.9-4.8). None of these associations were significantly altered after adjusting for age, race, smoking status or body mass index. CONCLUSION: The greater likelihood of a hypertensive pregnancy among sisters of women with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia supports a pathophysiologic role for genetic and/or behavioral factors that cluster in families. SMFM Abstracts S121
Electrostatic potential between concentric surfaces: Spherical, cylindrical, and planar

Abstract An approximate closed-form solution to the one-dimensional Poisson-Boltzmann equation is obtained for any combination of mono-, di-, and trivalent counterions. This solution provides the electrostatic potential between two apposed concentric surfaces, i.e., flat plates or a large sphere or cylinder embedded in a cavity of the same geometry. The solutions for cylindrical and spherical surfaces are quite accurate provided that their radius ( a 1 ) is much larger than the double layer thickness; specifically, that κa 1 > 10 where κ is the Debye-Huckel reciprocal length. The spherical or cylindrical solutions apply to the cell model of particle aggregates, wherein the electrostatic environment of an average particle within an aggregate may be estimated. Simple approximate formulas for the ion distributions in the double layer are also obtained.
Frederick V. Coville and the History of North American Highbush Blueberry Culture

November 15, 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Dr. Frederick V. Coville's, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin 193, Experiments in Blueberry Culture. Prior to these studies, most attempts to...
A novel approach to achieve highly efficient nonlinear optical polymers from guest-host systems

A series of side-chain electrooptic (E-O) polymers have been prepared by Diels-Alder reaction in a solid state and characterized for their nonlinear optical properties. A synthesized chromophore were easily attached to a pendent anthracenyl moiety functionalized on the poly(methylmethacrylate-co-anthrylmethylmethacrylate) thermally in the bulk films during the poling process without compromising E-O performances. We have also controlled a chromophore concentration to determine its critical loading density at which chromophore-chromophore electrostatic interaction occurs in the polymer matrix. The highest E-O coefficient was 110 pm/V for the 34 wt% of the doped chromophore in the polymer at the wavelength of 1.3 μm. A high loading density of chromophore was obtained without observing a severe phase separation in the polymer matrix by an AFM morphology study. This novel approach provides to demonstrate a strategy for developing highly efficient E-O materials with the full potential of a chromophore.
Oxygen Solubility in Sea Water: Thermodynamic Influence of Sea Salt

Precise measurements of the solubility of oxygen in sea water show that the solubility declines exponentially with increase in salt concentration according to the empirical Setschenow relation. The deviation from linearity is nearly 0.6 percent from the fitted straight-line relations of previous workers. Our experimental data reveal that, in contrast to the effect predicted by the Debye theory, the salting-out decreases with increasing temperature.
Thermal imaging of subsurface microwave absorbers in dielectric materials

The use of microwaves as a heating source in time-resolved IR radiometry provides the ability to heat surface and subsurface microwave-absorbing regions of a specimen directly. This can improve the contrast and spatial resolution of such regions and enhance their detectibility when compared with conventional laser or flashlamp sources. The experiments reported here use microwave heating with IR detection. Results on plexiglass-water-Teflon test specimens with absorbers at different depths in the sample are described by a 1D analytical model. Measurements using microwave and optical heating on epoxy-coated steel pipes are compared and demonstrate the ability of microwave heating to detect subsurface water voids very efficiently. Other applications of the method to microwave imaging, field mapping and imaging of defects in composite materials are discussed.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.