cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Venus and the (R)uses of Power: Nelisiwe Xaba’s They Look at Me and That’s All They Think

A number of contemporary art/performance pieces invoke “the Venus Hottentot.” Nelisiwe Xaba’s They Look at Me and That’s All They Think demonstrates how the contemporary reproduction of “the Venus”...
Quantum supremacy and random circuits.

As Moore's law reaches its limits, quantum computers are emerging with the promise of dramatically outperforming classical computers. We have witnessed the advent of quantum processors with over $50$ quantum bits (qubits), which are expected to be beyond the reach of classical simulation. Quantum supremacy is the event at which the old Extended Church-Turing Thesis is overturned: A quantum computer performs a task that is practically impossible for any classical (super)computer. The demonstration requires both a solid theoretical guarantee and an experimental realization. The lead candidate is Random Circuit Sampling (RCS), which is the task of sampling from the output distribution of random quantum circuits. Google recently announced a $53-$qubit experimental demonstration of RCS. Soon after, classical algorithms appeared that challenge the supremacy of random circuits by estimating their outputs. How hard is it to classically simulate the output of random quantum circuits? We prove that estimating the output probabilities of random quantum circuits is formidably hard ($\#P$-Hard) for any classical computer. This makes RCS the strongest candidate for demonstrating quantum supremacy relative to all other proposals. The robustness to the estimation error that we prove may serve as a new hardness criterion for the performance of classical algorithms. To achieve this, we introduce the Cayley path interpolation between any two gates of a quantum computation and convolve recent advances in quantum complexity and information with probability and random matrices. Furthermore, we apply algebraic geometry to generalize the well-known Berlekamp-Welch algorithm that is widely used in coding theory and cryptography. Our results imply that there is an exponential hardness barrier for the classical simulation of most quantum circuits.
Biomarkers and Risk Prediction Tools for Stroke and Dementia in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

With the aging population, atrial fibrillation (AF) associations with both stroke and dementia have become a priority for the healthcare system. The purpose of this paper is to review the emerging role of clinical scores and biomarkers in the risk stratification of AF patients for risk of stroke and risk of dementia. AF is the most common arrhythmia in the aging population and a common comorbidity in atherosclerotic disease and heart failure. In this review, we identified 34 most relevant papers that specifically address the role of biomarkers in risk-stratifying patients with AF with regard to stroke and dementia. Recent data suggest an incremental value for biomarkers of myocardial injury, myocardial strain, and hemostasis for risk-stratifying patients at risk with AF at greater risk of stroke. Furthermore, biomarker risk scores such as the Intermountain Risk Score are emerging as complementary to the commonly used CHA2DS2-VASc score for both stroke and dementia. Imaging biomarkers including left atrial size and left atrial reservoir strain may complement these circulating biomarkers to identify patients at greater risk of stroke, and the combination of AF and evidence of subclinical stroke could further inform the risk cognitive decline. Several clinical biomarker risk scores and biomarkers can complement the risk stratification of AF and dementia. With the more frequent use of anticoagulation, developing integrated risk scores for stroke and bleeding in patients with AF is now a focus of ongoing research. Early detection and intervention for cognitive decline in our aging population is also a priority for the healthcare system, and risk scores can help identify higher risk individuals.
Self-assessing a test with a possible bonus enhances low performers’ academic performance

Abstract Students tend not to review test feedback or process it cognitively. We examined whether and how self-assessment enhanced engineering students' engagement in test feedback and academic performance, and whether and how the impact differed for high and low performers. We also investigated whether peer assessment and bonus points added to the impact of self-assessment. Engineering students in the three experimental groups received different interventions: self-assessing their test (SA), self-assessing their test with a bonus (SAI), and assessing their own and peer's test with a bonus (PSAI). A video detailing the solutions and how to grade each test was provided to guide students in assessing tests. There were no statistically significant differences between the control and experimental groups in students' engagement and academic performance, but low-performing SAI's score change from Test 2 to the final exam was bigger than that of low performers in the control group. Reflections suggested that one possible reason for why high performers did not benefit as much as the low performers was the ceiling effect. That is, high performers already understood the concepts before the self-assessment.Students liked self-assessing tests, thought that it was of value, and thought about why they lost points. Our study contributes to the literature on how to improve the effectiveness of test feedback and the literature indicating that providing differentiated feedback based on students' prior knowledge can be beneficial. It also shows that video feedback can be helpful for students taking pen-and-paper tests.
The Political Sources of Labor Market Dualism in Postindustrial Democracies, 1980-2011

Increases in wage inequality and atypical employment have occurred across postindustrial economies in recent decades. Technological change, globalization, the employment shift from manufacturing to services, and the decentralization of collective bargaining are commonly cited as causes. I argue that where social democratic parties govern, and where employers and labor remain highly organized, labor market dualism is mitigated. Not only should labor and employer organization directly suppress dualism, it should facilitate politically and organizationally egalitarian policy making and implementation by progressive governments. This should hold because the organizational scope, centralization, and policymaking integration of labor and capital blunts insider politics by sectorally fragmented actors and excessive rent seeking by narrow interest groups. I draw on 1975 to 2011 annual data from 18 postindustrial democracies and estimate models of active labor market policy, the social wage for labor market outsiders, wage inequality of full-time workers, and the employment share of involuntary part-time jobs. Higher levels of labor and employer organization are associated broadly with less dualism, and social democratic party government has significant egalitarian impacts on policies and outcomes at high levels of labor and of employer organization. Technological change, trade penetration by developing countries, and deindustrialization generate inegalitarian outcomes.
Modeling and experimental studies of quartz and stishovite and the effects of metal dopants on the quartz-to-stishovite pressure-phase transition

Solid-state density functional theory has been employed to study the vibrational and electronic structures of quartz and stishovite as a function of pressure, as well as the effects of Al, Fe, and Ni dopants on the quartz-to-stishovite pressure-phase transition. The calculated Raman-active modes and band gaps are presented and compared to those obtained experimentally. Calculated changes in the enthalpy of the neat and doped crystals suggest that Al decreases the quartz-to-stishovite transition pressure, whereas Fe and Ni increase the transition pressure.
Radiation Therapy in Posterior Fossa Tumors

The posterior fossa is the most commonly irradiated intracranial compartment in the treatment of childhood brain tumors and possibly the most commonly irradiated body site in children with cancer. An understanding of the pathophysiology of tumors in the posterior fossa is necessary to identify the indications and contraindications for radiation therapy, the appropriate radiotherapy methods, potential for acute and long-term side effects, and developing trends relevant to the treatment of tumors at this intracranial site. An improved understanding of the goals of radiation therapy serves nonradiation oncology members of the treatment team by improving patient selection and treatment sequencing and provides insight into the differences in disease control and functional outcomes based on irradiation dose and volume. These differences underscore the role and the relative benefits and risks of irradiating children with posterior fossa tumors. Improved knowledge will lead to improved rates of cure and a reduction in the risk of treatment complications.
Identification of an Enzyme-γ-Glutamyl Coenzyme A Intermediate from Coenzyme A Transferase

Abstract Reaction of the enzyme-coenzyme A intermediate of succinyl-CoA:acetoacetate coenzyme A transferase with tritium-labeled sodium borohydride inactivates the enzyme and labels a component of the acid hydrolysate which shows the same behavior as α-amino-δ-hydroxyvaleric acid upon electrophoresis and chromatography. This indicates that the coenzyme is bound by a thiol ester linkage to the γ-carboxyl group of a protein glutamic acid residue.
Louis D. Brandeis and the Making of Regulated Competition, 1900-1932

1. Creative syncretism Part I. Brandies and the Theory of Regulated Competition: 2. Republican experimentalism and regulated competition 3. Learning from railroad regulation 4. The origins of an ambiguous Federal Trade Commission Part II. Regulated Competition in Practice: 5. Cultivational governance at the Federal Trade Commission 6. Deliberative polyarchy and developmental associations 7. From collective action to collaborative learning: developmental association in commercial printing Part III. Regulated Competition Contested: 8. The politics of accountability Part IV. Conclusion: 9. Civic enterprise Appendix A. Industries and number of associations with at least substantial involvement in developmental association, by industry group.
Resolved, Presidential Signing Statements Threaten to Undermine the Rule of Law and the Separation of Powers

This short piece, part of a debate with Peter Shane, argues that presidential signing statements do not threaten the rule of law and the separation of powers. It discusses the theory and practice of signing statements, and concludes that President Obama rightly rejected the position taken by the American Bar Association when it denounced President Bush for his use of signing statements.
Graph structures in paragraph-linked repositories

The study of automatically generated link networks in hypertext repositories yields valuable insights into the algorithms that produced them. In this investigation of these link networks, the phenomena of centrality and its opposite, dispersion, are identified as issues to be dealt with. Different algorithms produce link networks with different degrees of centrality. We investigate this using the MultiBrowser system as a testbed and applying these algorithms to repositories consisting of documents downloaded based on search engine return lists. Once automatically generated hyperlinks are added to this repository, making documents accessible from other documents in the repository, the centrality properties of the linked repository can be investigated.
Apoprotein E-rich high density lipoproteins inhibit ovarian androgen synthesis.

The influence of high density lipoproteins (HDL) on luteinizing hormone-stimulated rat ovarian theca/interstitial cell steroidogenesis was studied. Without HDL the cells produced primarily androgens from progestin precursors. In the presence of rat or human HDL steroid output increased 3-5-fold, but the type of steroid produced was dependent on the source of the HDL. Human HDL nonselectively amplified luteinizing hormone-stimulated steroid production, whereas rat HDL promoted progestin production without a concomitant increase in androgen output. Comparisons of the activities of apoprotein E-rich HDL (e.g. HDL from intact mature rats) with apoprotein E-poor HDL (e.g. human HDL or rat HDL from hypophysectomized immature rats) suggested that apoprotein E was responsible for the inhibition of androgen production. Furthermore, the inhibitory activity of rat HDL was abolished by depleting apoprotein E-containing lipoproteins with heparin affinity chromatography. Direct evidence that apoprotein E was the inhibitory constituent of rat HDL was obtained by showing that isolated lipid-free rat apoprotein E inhibited androgen production, whereas isolated rat apoproteins A-I and A-IV did not. The possible paracrine function of apoprotein E in ovarian follicular maturation of the ovary is discussed.
Dynamic Adhesion of T Lymphocytes to Endothelial Cells Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy

The recruitment of T lymphocytes to lymphoid organs or sites of inflammation is a crucial step in adaptive immunity. These processes require endothelial activation and expression of adhesion molecules, including E- and P-selectins, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). However, the complete characterization of the adhesion strength and dynamics between lymphocytes and endothelial cells has been hampered by the lack of sensitive quantitative techniques. Here we report on the application of atomic force microscopy to characterize the interaction between individual pairs of living T lymphocytes (i.e., Jurkat cells) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The detachment of individual cell-cell conjugates was a complex process involving several step-like rupture events and the viscoelastic deformation of cells on the scale of several microns. Adhesion between Jurkat cells and activated endothelial cells increased with compression force and contact time, with the most dramatic changes occurring within the first half second of contact. After 0.25 sec of contact, E-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 contributed to 18%, 39%, and 41% of total adhesion strength, respectively, suggesting that ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 contributed more than the selectins in supporting cell attachment.
Godunov-Type Schemes Applied to Detonation Flows

Over recent years, a variety of shock-capturing schemes have been developed for the Euler equations of gas dynamics. During this period, it has emerged that one of the more successful strategies is to follow Godunov’s lead and utilize a nonlinear building block known as a Riemann problem. Now, although Riemann solver technology is often thought of as being mature, there are in fact several circumstances for which Godunov-type schemes are found wanting. Indeed, one inherent deficiency is so severe that if left unaddressed, it could preclude such schemes from being used to capture detonation fronts in simulations of complex flow phenomena. In this paper, we highlight this particular deficiency along with some other little known weaknesses of Godunov-type schemes, and we outline one strategy that we have used to good effect in order to produce reliable high resolution simulations of both reactive and nonreactive shock wave phenomena. In particular, we present results for simulations of socalled galloping instabilities and detonation cell phenomena.
Reply to "Reply to `Comment on "Hydrocarbon emissions characterization in the Colorado Front Range - A Pilot Study"' by Michael A. Levi" by Gabrielle Pétron et al.

[1] The reply by Petron et al. (2012a) to my comment, Levi (2012), on their paper, Petron et al. (2012a), defends their original conclusion: fugitive emissions in an area that they observed in 2008 were likely larger than those indicated by previous estimates. The reply also claims to have now better characterized the uncertainties in their and my approaches. In particular, they question the representative nature of a data set that Petron et al. (2012) relied on, and that Levi retained, although they do not recalculate their estimates. Petron et al. (2012) also claim to show that the analysis in Levi (2012) is flawed because, they argue, it implies the physically unrealistic conclusion that fugitive emissions from the natural gas operations that Petron et al. (2012) studied may be negative. Petron et al. (2012a) are reasonable to be skeptical of the data set that they highlight. I show in this reply that if that data set is indeed not representative of condensate tank flashing in the area under study, it is impossible to produce the results in Petron et al. (2012a) that the authors now defend. I also show that the other critique of Levi (2012) offered by Petron et al. (2012a), i.e., that Levi's analysis has physically unrealistic implications, relies on an incorrect interpretation of the formulas in that comment. Only one of two conclusions is possible: the results in Levi (2012) are correct, or the conclusions in both Levi (2012a) and Petron et al. (2012a) are unjustified.
Novel calcium-gelled, alginate-pectin beverage reduced energy intake in nondieting overweight and obese women: interactions with dietary restraint status

Background Foods containing strong-gelling fibers may provide a safe and efficacious strategy for reducing food intake by stimulating endogenous satiety signaling. Objective A novel, 2-part beverage, consisting of alginate-pectin and calcium components, that forms a stable, fibrous gel in the stomach was tested to determine its effects on subjective satiety and food intake in overweight and obese women. Design The investigation was a within-subjects, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects (n = 29) ingested a 2-part beverage twice per day (once before breakfast and once midafternoon) for 7 d. Three alginate-pectin formulations were tested: 1.0 g, 2.8 g, and control (no fiber). Subjective satiety and ad libitum food intake were measured on days 1 and 7 of each 1-wk treatment period with a 1-wk washout between testings. Results A significant reduction in food intake was observed at dinner for both formulations compared with the control formulation. The effects of the gel beverage differed as a function of rigid dietary restraint status. Women in the lower 50th percentile of rigid restraint consumed 12% less energy during the day and 22% less for the evening snack in the 2.8-g condition compared with the control condition. No effect was found for women in the upper 50th percentile of rigid restraint. Conclusions Consumption of a postingestion, calcium-gelled fiber beverage twice daily reduced energy intake in overweight and obese women with low rigid restraint scores. Use of foods designed to enhance satiety may be an effective adjunctive therapy for weight loss; however, more research is needed to determine how dietary restraint alters this response.
The temperature effect on sequential resonant tunneling in single bound state multiple-quantum-well structure

Summary form only given. The nonuniform electric field distribution in voltage-biased multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structure resulting from sequential resonant tunneling (SRT) causes discontinuity in the current-voltage characteristics, and is a mainly low temperature effect. In this talk we discuss the temperature dependence of SRT and the electric field distribution in GaAs MQWs.
4D display of the outflow track of embryonic-chick hearts (HH 14-19) using a high speed streak mode OCT

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common congenital malformation in newborns in the US. Although knowledge of CHD is limited, altered hemodynamic conditions are suspected as the factor that stimulates cardiovascular cell response, resulting in the heart morphology remodeling that ultimately causes CHDs. Therefore, one of recent efforts in CHD study is to develop high-speed imaging tools to correlate the rapidly changing hemodynamic condition and the morphological adaptations of an embryonic heart in vivo. We have developed a high-speed streak mode OCT that works at the center wavelength of 830 nm and is capable of providing images (292x220 μm 2 ) of the outflow tract of an embryonic chick heart at the rate of 1000 Hz. The modality can provide a voxel resolution in the range of 10 μm 3 , and the spectral resolution allows a depth range of 1.63 mm. In the study reported here, each of the 4D images of an outflow tract was recorded for 2 seconds. The recording was conducted every 2 hours (HH17 to HH18), 3 hours (HH14 to HH17), and 4 hours (HH18 to HH19). Because of the fast scan speed, there is no need for postacquisition processing such as use of gating techniques to provide a fine 3D structure. In addition, more details of the outflow tract are preserved in the recorded images. The 4D images can be used in the future to determine the role of blood flow in CHD development.
A GIS-based spatial analysis on neighborhood effects and voter turn-out:: a case study in College Station, Texas

Abstract This paper examines individual voter turn-out and its putative relationship with voting outcomes at the voting precinct level. Via a GIS-based address matching procedure, we were able to georeference individual voters (registered voters who casted their votes) and non-voters (those registered voters who did not cast their votes) for three recent local referenda in College Station, Texas. We then conducted a scale-sensitive, second-order spatial analysis for the spatial distribution of voter turn-outs, followed by a spatial clustering analysis of the voting results using Getis–Ord’s G i statistic. We found that the extent of neighborhood effects in local elections is heavily influenced by the voter turn-out. If voter turn-out is clustered at intermediate and large scale, voting results tend to be clustered and also exhibit a sharp polarization between high and low values. If voter turn-out tends to be uniform/regular at intermediate scales but randomly distributed at both small and large scales, there appears to be less clustering in the voting results and thus lack of the neighborhood effect. If the voter turn-out pattern is mixed-uniform/regular at the small scale, random at the intermediate scale, but clustered at the large scale, the voting results show a stronger neighborhood effect.
Adaptive Hierarchical-Concurrent Multiscale Modeling of Ductile Failure in Heterogeneous Metallic Materials

This article addresses two topics on multiscale modeling of heterogeneous metals and alloys. The first topic focuses on developing an adaptive hierarchical-concurrent multilevel modeling framework for ductile fracture. The microstructure of aluminum alloys, for example, is characterized by a dispersion of heterogeneities such as silicon and intermetallics in a ductile aluminum matrix. The multilevel model invokes two-way coupling, viz. hierarchical models for homogenized constitutive modeling and concurrent models with scale transition in regions of localization and damage. Adaptivity is necessary for evolving microstructural deformation and damage. A macroscopic analysis in regions homogeneity incorporates homogenization-based continuum plasticity-damage models. A microscopic analysis using locally enhanced-Voronoi cell finite-element method is required for regions of high macroscopic gradients caused by underlying localized plasticity and damage. Coupled macroscopic and microscopic analysis is conducted concurrently. Physics-based level change criteria are developed to improve accuracy and efficiency. The second topic discusses a nested dual-stage homogenization method for microstructure-based homogenized continuum plasticity models for cast aluminum alloys with large secondary dendrite arm spacing. Two distinct statistically equivalent representative volume elements are identified and used in the asymptotic expansion-based homogenization and self-consistent homogenization processes, respectively. The two-stage homogenization enables an evaluation of the overall homogenized model of a cast alloy from limited experimental data, as well as material properties of constituents like interdendritic phase and pure aluminum matrix.
Exploring 1,2-Hydrogen Shift in Silicon Nanoparticles: Reaction Kinetics from Quantum Chemical Calculations and Derivation of Transition State Group Additivity Database

Accurate rate coefficients for 35 1,2-hydrogen shift reactions for hydrides containing up to 10 silicon atoms have been calculated using G3//B3LYP. The overall reactions exhibit two distinct barriers. Overcoming the first barrier results in the formation of a hydrogen-bridged intermediate species from a substituted silylene and is characterized by a low activation energy. Passing over the second barrier converts this stable intermediate into the double-bonded silene. Values for the single event Arrhenius pre-exponential factor, A, and the activation energy, Ea, were calculated from the G3//B3LYP rate coefficients, and a group additivity scheme was developed to predict A and Ea. The values predicted by group additivity are more accurate than structure/reactivity relationships currently used in the literature, which rely on a representative A value and the Evans−Polanyi correlation to predict Ea. The structural factors that have the most pronounced effect on A and Ea were considered, and the presence of rin...
Proliferation of Mouse Uterine Epithelial Cells in Vitro

Although estrogens can stimulate the growth of uterine epithelial cells in vivo, there is no clear effect of estrogens on the in vitro growth of epithelial cells from reproductive tract tissues; thus, we have established a defined culture system for mouse uterine epithelial cells. Pieces of uteri from immature CD-1 mice (21-23 days of age) were treated with trypsin, and the epithelial fragments were separated, enriched by Percoll gradient centrifugation, and seeded on collagen gels prepared from rat tail tendon. Initially, the cells were cultured in a 1:1 mixture of Ham's F-12 and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF; 10 ng/ml), insulin (10 micrograms/ml), transferrin (10 micrograms/ml), hydrocortisone (0.1 micrograms/ml), and vitamin A (10 ng/ml). The cells formed a monolayer on the collagen gel within 1-2 days, but with time, cells began to detach from the gel. Further studies revealed that the attachment and growth of these cells on collagen were markedly influenced by the calcium concentration. It was found that lowering the calcium concentration from 1.05 to 0.05-0.1 mM dramatically suppressed cell detachment; the number of cells doubled after 7 days of culture. Proliferation of uterine epithelial cells was enhanced by EGF, but not by fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, nerve growth factor, multiplication-stimulating activity, or somatomedin-C. The uterine epithelial cells exhibited a single class of high affinity binding sites for [125I]iodo-EGF (Kd, approximately 1.8 nM), with approximately 5 X 10(4) receptors/cell; binding was inhibited by EGF but not by the other polypeptides. This cell culture system will aid in our investigations on hormonal effects on the growth and differentiation of estrogen target cells.
Recurrence and trapping on a fractal solid

Abstract We consider the `second-generation' Menger sponge, a symmetric fractal of dimension d ≈2.7268…, and associated lattice of N =1056 sites and uniform coordination number v =4, and calculate the mean walklength 〈 n 〉 before trapping for a random walker on this lattice. In addition to strengthening results obtained previously, in which we examined whether values of 〈 n 〉 calculated for various configurations of the `first-generation' Menger sponge ( N =72) are intermediate between those calculated for the corresponding d =2- and 3-dimensional lattices, we demonstrate here that a classic result of Montroll on recurrence times is more general than had previously been reported. In particular, we show for the lattice studied here that the expected walklength 〈 n 〉 conditional on starting from a site nearest-neighbor to the point of origin is given by ( N −1) exactly.
Rare exact solution to a model of two-phase flow consisting of a nanofluid adjacent to a clear fluid

Abstract We consider a theoretical model of a two-phase flow consisting of a nanofluid adjacent to a clear fluid. A method of obtaining the exact solution to the two-fluid vertical channel flow and convective heat transfer model is presented. The results constitute a rare case in which completely exact solutions are possible for a nonlinear flow problem involving nanofluids, as the governing equations are often highly nonlinear. We show rigorously that the nanofluid can modify the fluid velocity at the interface of the two fluids, and can be used to reduce shear at both the surface of the clear fluid and the interface of the two fluids. Upon exploring the existence of the exact solutions, we discover that in some situations there exist two mathematical solution branches, one of which is the physically relevant solution. We then discuss the behavior of the velocity and thermal profiles with the important parameters dictated by the nanoparticles.
Discontinuing clozapine: An example of explicit health care rationing

Clozapine's efficacy, side effect profile, and cost raise numerous clinical, administrative, and ethical concerns. The author presents mathematical models to determine the optimal time for an efficacy evaluation. The models are based on the presumption that clinical considerations as well as limited resources will preclude treating for an indefinite length of time a person who has not shown improvement. This quantitative approach to decision making also suggests what types of data should be obtained in future research on clozapine.
Triad of non-specific laboratory tests in malaria

Sir, I read the article by Dr. Gjorup et al. on laboratory indicators of malaria with great interest. Dr. Gjorup et al. have provided a great service to medicine and the study of infectious disease...
System for real-time generation of georeferenced terrain models

A growing number of law enforcement applications, especially in the areas of border security, drug enforcement and anti- terrorism require high-resolution wide area surveillance from unmanned air vehicles. At the University of Massachusetts we are developing an aerial reconnaissance system capable of generating high resolution, geographically registered terrain models (in the form of a seamless mosaic) in real-time from a single down-looking digital video camera. The efficiency of the processing algorithms, as well as the simplicity of the hardware, will provide the user with the ability to produce and roam through stereoscopic geo-referenced mosaic images in real-time, and to automatically generate highly accurate 3D terrain models offline in a fraction of the time currently required by softcopy conventional photogrammetry systems. The system is organized around a set of integrated sensor and software components. The instrumentation package is comprised of several inexpensive commercial-off-the-shelf components, including a digital video camera, a differential GPS, and a 3-axis heading and reference system. At the heart of the system is a set of software tools for image registration, mosaic generation, geo-location and aircraft state vector recovery. Each process is designed to efficiently handle the data collected by the instrument package. Particular attention is given to minimizing geospatial errors at each stage, as well as modeling propagation of errors through the system. Preliminary results for an urban and forested scene are discussed in detail.
Self-seeding warm-season legumes for low-input forage production in the southern Great Plains of the USA.

In the southern Great Plains (SGP) of the USA warm-season legumes can improve the quality of available forage in pasture systems based on perennial warm-season grasses. Legumes that persist through self-seeding may be especially useful in low-input systems where resources for annual replanting are limited. The productivity and capacity for self-seeding of Korean lespedeza (Kummerowia stipulacea [Maxim.] Makino) and Verano stylo (Stylosanthes hamata [L.] Taub.) were tested in controlled environment and in field plots in the SGP. At similar levels of accumulated temperature, germination of Korean lespedeza was unaffected by day/night temperature regimes between 15/15&degC and 30/15&degC. In contrast, at similar accumulated temperatures, germination of Verano stylo increased with higher daytime maximum temperature up to 30&degC. Seedling growth of both species was reduced by shading, in proportion to the reduction in photosynthetic flux density. Growth of Korean lespedeza up to five weeks after emergence was greatest under a 22.5/7.5&degC temperature regime but that of Verano stylo was greatest at 30/15&degC. In the field Korean lespedeza was a prolific seeder and productive of forage though susceptible to significant loss of leaf material in late summer and fall. Verano stylo did not reseed effectively and was not a reliable forage producer.
Trace-metal pollutants and urban-tree leaf pathogens

The leaf surfaces of urban trees are contaminated with particles containing numerous trace metals. Six of these metals — Al, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn — were evaluated in a doseresponse test with the following fungi isolated from the phylloplane of mature, urban London plane trees; Aureobasidium pullulons, Chaetomium sp., Gnomonia platani and Pleurophomella sp. At low dosage none of the metals was inhibitory to linear growth of any fungus in plate culture, except low dosage inhibition of Chaetomium by Zn. Aluminum and Fe were generally fungitoxic, but only at high dosage. Direct inhibition of leaf-surface fungal growth by trace metal foliar contaminants thus appears unlikely.
Secular Variations in Streamflow in the Western United States

Abstract Long-term streamflow series in the western United States were examined for evidence of secular changes related to climate. Streamflow series contained appreciable low-frequency variation related to the combined influence of temperature and precipitation. Evidence of nonstationarity was found in selected records for the Pacific Northwest and the Upper Colorado Basins: mean annual streamflow increased significantly (0.05 level) from the first to last half of the 1914–80 period in the Pacific Northwest, and decreased significantly over the same period in the Upper Colorado region. Correlation analyses and examination of drought years revealed a strong tendency for anomalies of opposite sign in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest. Drought in the Upper Colorado Basin was statistically independent of drought in the Pacific Northwest. Under exceptional meteorological conditions (e.g., water-year 1976–77), however, low flows occurred over a vast area from the Northwest coast to the mountains of centr...
Impact of surface chemical treatment on capacitance-voltage characteristics of GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with Al2 O3 gate dielectric

The authors examine the impact of two different chemical surface treatment methods on capacitance-voltage characteristics of GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors using NH4OH and (NH4)2S prior to atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3. In both cases, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data confirm the removal of As2O3∕As2O6 upon Al2O3 deposition. However, Ga–O bonds appear to incorporate in the final gate stack at the Al2O3∕GaAs interface. MOS capacitors exhibit a steep transition from accumulation to depletion as well as very low leakage current density indicating high quality of ALD-Al2O3. The midgap interface trap density was evaluated to be (∼3–5)×1011∕cm2eV using the Terman method. In addition, quasistatic capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement confirms the formation of true inversion layer in GaAs using both chemical treatment protocols. However, sulfur-passivated GaAs demonstrates better frequency dispersion behavior and slightly smaller capacitance equivalent thickness than hydroxylated GaA...
Vitamin E Succinate Reduces Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Steatotic Livers

Steatotic livers represent a growing proportion of marginal organs available for transplantation. These livers are highly prone to primary nonfunction following transplantation and are therefore routinely turned down for surgery. Given the elevated levels and sensitivity for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in these livers, we evaluated whether pretreatment with a targeted ROS scavenger, vitamin E succinate, increased survival and decreased injury after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). For this study, ob/ob mice received 50 IU/d vitamin E succinate in supplemented vs control chow for 7 days, and were subjected to 15 minutes of total hepatic ischemia and 24 hours of reperfusion. Treatment resulted in a 5-fold decrease in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels after reperfusion, mirrored by significant decreases in hepatocellular necrosis. These results suggested that targeted antioxidants such as vitamin E succinate may prove to be highly applicable for the pretreatment of steatotic donor livers, increasing their tolerance for I/R and the transplantation process.
Immune reconstitution and the consequences for opportunistic infection treatment and prevention

Effective antiretroviral therapy that suppresses HIV replication is associated with dramatic increases in CD4 counts. Recent evidence suggests that this CD4 cell increase is biphasic in nature, with an initial phase (in the first 2 to 3 months) that represents redistribution of lymphocytes into the periphery and a second phase that is associated with true immunologic recovery and reconstitution. Immunologically there is evidence of increase in naive T cells, recovery of in vitro responses to microbial antigens, and repair of the damaged diversity of T cells. Clinically, this immune recovery has been characterized by decreasing morbidity and mortality from opportunistic infections, an ability to treat previously intractable infections, immune-mediated syndromes, and increasing reports of the ability to discontinue primary and secondary prophylaxis. Although there are still unresolved questions about the completeness of the immune recovery, most available evidence suggests in most patients the degree of immune reconstitution with effective antiretroviral therapy is sufficient to be protective against most opportunistic infections, and ultimately additional antimicrobial prophylaxis will be unnecessary.
Cultural Competence Knowledge and Confidence After Classroom Activities

Objectives. To determine change in cultural competency knowledge and perceived confidence of second-year pharmacy students to deliver culturally competent care after completing a required cultural ...
Physics of intermediate shocks: A review

Intermediate shocks (ISs) lead to a transition from super-Alfvenic to sub-Alfvenic flow and are different from slow and fast shocks in that an IS rotates the component of the magnetic field tangent to the shock plane by 180 deg. Another peculiarity of ISs is that for the same upstream conditions an IS can have two different downstream states. There also exist a second class of ISs which rotate the magnetic field by an angle other than 180 deg. Due to their noncoplanar nature they cannot be time-stationary and are referred to as time-dependent intermediate shocks (TDIS). The existence of ISs has been the subject of much controversy over the years. Early studies questioned the physical reality of ISs. However, the studies of ISs found a new impetus when C.C. Wu showed that ISs do exist and are stable within the resistive MHD framework. In this paper, after a brief historical overview of the subject, we will review the latest developments in the study of ISs. In particular, we will address the questions of stability and structure of ISs and the relationship between ISs and other discontinuities. One of the recent developments has been the finding that ISs can be unsteady, reforming in time. Details of this process will be discussed. Finally, we examine the effect of anisotropy on the resolutions and discuss the relevance of ISs to the observed field rotations at the Earth's magnetopause.
Chemical Fabrication and Electrochemical Characterization of Graphene Nanosheets Using a Lithium Battery Platform

Graphene has opened up new opportunities for scientific and technological innovations because of its astonishing electrical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties. For instance, graphene-based nanocomposites have found extensive applications in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) as scientists and engineers seek to achieve superior electrochemical performances. The laboratory module reported herein includes both chemical fabrication and electrochemical characterizations of graphene nanosheets (GNSs). The GNS powders are fabricated through the chemical exfoliation of graphite, and the resulting morphological and structural changes are evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Li storage electrochemical characteristics of GNSs are then assessed via galvanostatic chronopotentiometry and compared with that of graphite, a commonly used anode material in LIBs. This novel laboratory module, suitable for a wide range of students with a general chemistry background, has been successfully...
On locating minimum feedback vertex sets

Abstract In this paper we study the problem of locating minimum feedback vertex sets in directed graphs. First, we introduce three new transformation-based classes of graphs for which minimum feedback vertex sets can be computed in polynomial time. Second, we delineate an inclusion hierarchy among all of the classes of graphs for which polynomial time feedback vertex set algorithms presently exist. Among the classes of graphs included in the hierarchy are: the reducible flow graphs, the cyclically reducible graphs, the three transformation-based classes that we introduce, and an infinite sequence of classes based on an algorithm of Smith and Walford for finding minimum feedback vertex sets in arbitrary graphs. It follows from our results that one of our new classes, as well as each “Smith/Walford” class, properly includes both the reducible flow graphs and the cyclically reducible graphs. The results presented here serve to unify and focus the work on locating minimum feedback vertex sets in polynomial time.
Growth of Juvenile Scup Fed Two Commercial Diets

Abstract Juvenile Scup Stenotomus chrysops 0.35–0.95 g were fed two different commercial diets for 9 weeks to determine growth rates. Diets were hand-distributed to four replicate groups of 45 fish, four times a day. Survival among all treatments was high (90.0–92.5%), and both diets supported good growth. After five weeks, Scup fed diet 1 were significantly greater in length and weight than fish fed diet 2. These differences remained significant throughout the rest of the study. Specific growth rate (SGR) values were 5.8%/d for fish fed diet 1 and 5.5%/d for diet 2, while feed conversion ratios (FCR) were 1.22 for diet 1 and 1.25 for diet 2. Relative growth rate (RGR) values were diet 1 = 3,689% and diet 2 = 3,077%, and daily weight gain (DWG) values were diet 1 = 0.38 g/d and diet 2 = 0.31 g/d. Scup fed diet 1 had significantly greater final live weight, total length, weight gain, SGR, RGR, and DWG measurements than did fish fed diet 2. Juvenile Scup exhibited high growth rates and low feed conversion r...
Development of inflammatory hypersensitivity and augmentation of sodium channels in rat dorsal root ganglia.

The development of thermal allodynia in relationship to sodium channel augmentation in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) was studied in albino rats. Paw withdrawal latencies were measured hourly following complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) injections. Sodium channels were demonstrated with immunocytochemistry. Sustained minimum latencies were attained between 10 and 12 h post-injection. Sodium channel labeling began to increase at 23 h post-injection and reached maximum levels by 24 h. Thermal hypersensitivity is thus established 12 h before sodium channel augmentation can be demonstrated.
Delayed Peak of the Posterior Wall: A New Echocardiographic Index of Posterior Wall Aneurysm

Delayed posterior wall (PW) peak in the detection of PW asynergy was studied by M-mode echocardiography in 53 patients with angiographically proven PW aneurysm, hypokinesis and normal PW. The timing of the PW peak was evaluated by the intervals between (1) the aortic valve closure (Ac) and the PW peak, and (2) the R wave of the electrocardiogram and the PW peak (R-peak). The PW excursion predicted only 39 percent with aneurysm and none with hypokinesis. In contrast, 13 of 18 patients with aneurysm and 4 of 13 patients with hypokinesis demonstrated significantly delayed PW peaks occurring between 0.05 and 0.1 sec following Ac (normal 0 to 0.05 sec). A new index, a ratio of R-peak to ejection time (R-peak/ET) of 1.35 or greater was found to be highly indicative of PW aneurysm in 16 of 18 patients.
Mapping out starvation responses

What are the pathways that underlie the coordinated responses of an organism to well-fed and food-deprived states? A report in this issue of Cell Metabolism suggests that starvation functions via a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor to activate MAP kinase signaling in the pharyngeal muscle of C. elegans (You et al., 2006).
The effects of arecoline on spinal reflexes of the cat

Abstract The effect of arecoline on a monosynaptic reflex from the lumbar spinal cord was studied in acute low-spinal cats anesthetised with chloralose. Drugs were injected intraarterially into the spinal cord blood supply and afferent influence was further minimized by sectioning dorsal roots. Arecoline hydrobromide and oxotremorine depressed both monosynaptic and polysnaptic reflex discharges recorded from the ventral root when the corresponding dorsal root was stimulated. The depression was slower in onset and longer in duration when compared to that resulting from nicotine hydrochloride. The depression of spinal reflexes by arecoline was blocked by i.v. atropine sulfate, only slightly antagonized by i.v. atropine methyl nitrate and was unaffected by i.v. methantheline bromide. Mecamylamine hydrochloride (i.v.) completely blocked the depression of reflexes by nicotine but had no effect on the arecoline-induced reflex depression. This depressant effect of arecoline is probably due to stimulation of muscarinic receptors on the inhibitory Renshaw cells.
Proteomic insights into ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins

The dynamic and specific modification of cellular proteins by members of the ubiquitin protein family is a vital regulatory mechanism that lies at the heart of almost all biological processes. Because of both their pervasive and complex nature, these regulatory pathways have been the target of many recent proteomic studies. Such works have provided numerous insights. Through the use of various mass spectrometry techniques, affinity purification methods, and/or chemical probes, large lists have begun to be compiled for the multitude of substrates, interacting partners, and enzymatic components of these regulatory circuits. Furthermore, similar tools have provided many insights into functional aspects such as their mechanisms of substrate specificity and enzymatic activity. This review provides a summary of these recent proteomic works, along with comments on future directions of the field.
Bite Transmission of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (New Jersey Serotype) to Laboratory Mice by Simulium vittatum (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Laboratory-reared female black flies (Simulium vittatum Zetterstedt) were infected experimentally with a 1997 vesicular stomatitis virus New Jersey serotype isolate and allowed to feed on susceptible laboratory mice. All mice exposed to black fly bite seroconverted by day 21 after infection, an indication of virus transmission. In addition, viral RNA was detected in the spleen of several mice. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that black flies are involved in VSV-NJ transmission during epizootics in the western USA and represent the 1st confirmed example of biological transmission of an arbovirus by a member of the Simuliidae using an animal model.