cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Integration of Sector Finance and National Income Accounts

M ANY OF THE DIFFICULTIES encountered in integrating statistics of changes in the financial assets and liabilities of the sectors of an economy (hereinafter called financing statistics) with traditional national income statistics may be clarified by the application of balance of payments methodology.1 Thus, the flow-of-funds accounts, which have been developed in the United States to combine both types of statistics, have been described as a set of interlocking balance of payments statements.2 Traditional national income accounts cover transactions in goods and services and transfers within and between certain functionally defined sectors of an economy (mainly households, enterprises, and government) and between the economy as a whole and the rest of the world, presented in a form that yields aggregates for production, income, consumption, and real capital formation for the economy as a whole. Financing statistics cover economic transactions that represent changes in financial assets and liabilities of the sectors of an economy, and these changes are equivalent, mutatis mutandis, to capital transactions as recorded in the balance of payments. Traditional national income and financing statistics combined thus cover essentially the same types of transaction (goods and serv-
Optimum Laguerre networks for a class of discrete-time systems

An analytical approach is introduced that directly yields the optimum value of the Laguerre parameter b. This is achieved by minimizing the mean-square error between the unit-sample response of the given discrete system and that of its Laguerre counterpart. It is shown that Laguerre networks are best suited to realized systems whose exponential unit-sample responses die down rapidly. >
An anthropometric face model using variational techniques

We describe a system that automatically generates varied geometric models of human faces. A collection of random measurements of the face is generated according to anthropometric statistics for likely face measurements in a population. These measurements are then treated as constraints on a parameterized surface. Variational modeling is used to find a smooth surface that satisfies these constraints while using a prototype shape as a reference.
Word associations of French workmen: Comparisons with associations of French students and American workmen and students

Summary Word-association responses were obtained from 115 French workmen in the construction industry. The stimulus list was a translation of the Kent-Rosanoff list, and it was administered as a group test. The primary responses to all 100 items are given, along with the percentage of Ss making each primary response. Several characteristics of the workmen's response norms were described and were compared with those of French students and American workmen and students: (1) The primary responses of the French workers are the same as those of the students in only 39 out of 98 cases. The American workers' primaries agree with those of the American students in 68 of 100 cases. The French students' primaries agree (in translation) with those of the American students in 48 out of 99 cases, which is more often than they agree with those of the French workers. (2) Within the same language, similarity of content based on all responses and not just the primaries was measured by means of group overlap coefficients. The mean group overlap coefficient for responses of French workers and students was 0.421. This is significantly lower than the mean coefficients for any of the other pairs of groups compared: American workers and students (0.521), American workers and professional men (0.534), and French men and women students (0.541). (3) The primary, secondary, and tertiary responses together account for 33.3% or all responses among French workers, 37.0% among French students, 54.4% among American workers, and 59.1% among American students. The index of communality ranks the four groups in the same order. (4) While French students, like students and workmen in the United States, usually respond with a word of the same grammatical class as the stimulus, the French workers, like children in both countries, frequently give responses of other parts of speech. Oppositeevoking stimuli account for much of the communality of responses of most adult groups, but this is not true of the French workmen. (5) Responses that are superordinates of the stimuli are given less frequently by French than by American Ss, and, in both countries, less frequently by students than by workers. It was concluded that adult members of the same “language community” may have verbal habits that differ systematically according to social groupings within the community.
Dopamine receptor blockade and reductions in thirst produce differential effects on drinking behavior.

Abstract The present study examined whether thirsty rats pretreated with the dopamine receptor blocker, pimozide, would show patterns of unconditioned drinking behavior similar to those produced by reductions in water deprivation. An examination of the drinking behavior of 23-, 16-, 12-, 4-, and 0-h water-deprived animals showed that reductions in thirst produced increased latencies to initiate drinking, changes in the within-session pattern of licking, and reductions in the total number of licks emitted. In contrast, administration of pimozide to 23-h deprived rats produced no effect on either initiation latencies or lick patterns, and only marginally reduced the total number of licks emitted during the session. Finally, pimozide produced no effect on either individual lick durations or interlick intervals. These results suggest that the primary motivational (i.e., “thirst”) mechanisms and motoric processes underlying drinking behavior are relatively invulnerable to pimozide challenge.
Parametric Modeling: A New Paradigm for Mechanisms Education?

The evolution of engineering education is driven, in part, by the tools available. This paper examines how a relatively new tool, that of parametric modeling, can be implemented in the presentation of an introductory course in the design and analysis of mechanisms. The combined graphical and computational power of a parametric modeling system provides an ideal starting point to introduce a variety of common concepts. This paper examines how parametric modeling can be used to analyze mechanism mobility (including degrees-of-freedom, Grashof type, transmission angles, and limits of motion), and velocity (including mechanical advantage) in planar linkages. The use of parametric modeling as a tool for teaching linkage synthesis is also reviewed.The primary purpose of the paper is to briefly demonstrate the power of parametric modeling and how this tool can form a foundation for mechanism education. The ability to rapidly create and change parametric sketches of mechanisms allows the student much more opportunity to study “what if” scenarios and recognize trends in mechanism analysis and design. The visual and interactive nature of the tool also has excellent compatibility with the highly computer literate background of the modern student. Parametric modeling has the necessary capability to become the paradigm for mechanisms instruction in the 21st century.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Rett syndrome : Long-term clinical follow-up experiences over four decades

Long-term clinical profiles of female patients with classic Rett syndrome are presented and exemplified by three cases, as experienced over four decades. Emphasized is the frequently surprisingly well-preserved eye contact and primitive memory, in contrast to a premature neuromuscular aging and often advanced peripheral atrophy, usually combined with dystonic-rigid signs that are predominantly right sided.
The geochemistry of redox sensitive trace metals in sediments

Abstract We analyzed the redox sensitive elements V, Mo, U, Re and Cd in surface sediments from the Northwest African margin, the U.S. Northwest margin and the Arabian Sea to determine their response under a range of redox conditions. Where oxygen penetrates 1 cm or less into the sediments, Mo and V diffuse to the overlying water as Mn is reduced and remobilized. Authigenic enrichments of U, Re and Cd are evident under these redox conditions. With the onset of sulfate reduction, all of the metals accumulate authigenically with Re being by far the most enriched. General trends in authigenic metal accumulation are described by calculating authigenic fluxes for the 3 main redox regimes: oxic, reducing where oxygen penetrates ≤1 cm, and anoxic conditions. Using a simple diagenesis model and global estimates of organic carbon rain rate and bottom water oxygen concentrations, we calculate the area of sediments below 1000 m water depth in which oxygen penetration is ≤1 cm to be 4% of the ocean floor. We conclude that sediments where oxygen penetrates ≤1 cm release Mn, V and Mo to seawater at rates of 140%–260%, 60%–150% and 5%–10% of their respective riverine fluxes, using the authigenic metal concentrations and accumulation rates from this work and other literature. These sediments are sinks for Re, Cd and U, with burial fluxes of 70%–140%, 30%–80% and 20%–40%, respectively, of their dissolved riverine inputs. We modeled the sensitivity of the response of seawater Re, Cd and V concentrations to changes in the area of reducing sediments where oxygen penetrates ≤1 cm. Our analysis suggests a negligible change in seawater Re concentration, whereas seawater concentrations of Cd and V could have decreased and increased, respectively, by 5%–10% over 20 kyr if the area of reducing sediments increased by a factor of 2 and by 10%–20% if the area increased by a factor of 3. The concentration variations for a factor of 2 increase in the area of reducing sediments are at about the level of uncertainty of Cd/Ca and V/Ca ratios observed in foraminifera shells over the last 40 kyr. This implies that the area of reducing sediments in the ocean deeper than 1000 m (4%) has not been greater than twice the present value in the recent past.
When Civic Virtue isn’t Seen as Virtuous: The Effect of Gender Stereotyping on Civic Virtue Expectations for Women

We examined the extent to which observers’ expectations of target employees’ civic virtue organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) are a function of both observer- (gender stereotype activation, threat) and target-related (gender) influences. Consistent with a role congruity perspective, we proposed that civic virtue (constructive involvement in the political governance process of the organization) will be expected to a lesser extent of women, but only when gender stereotypes are activated. We confirm this hypothesis across two studies. In Study 1, based on a sample of 187 U.S. undergraduate students (101 women, 86 men), we show that less civic virtue is expected of women when observers’ gender stereotypes are experimentally activated (vs. the non-activated condition). Using an additional sample of 197 U.S. undergraduate students (Study 2; 118 women, 79 men), we extend our findings by demonstrating that less civic virtue was expected of women in a high (vs. low) threat (manipulated) condition. Findings for men are included for comparative and general informational purposes only. We observed no significant changes in civic virtue expectations for men due to our study manipulations. Our research extends prior studies by showing that expectations for civic virtue are diminished for women, but only when gender stereotypes and threat are activated.
Fast regular expression matching in hardware using NFA-BDD combination

The development of Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) is nowadays a powerful solution to defend against various network security threats. There has been a lot of research effort devoted to hardware-based NIDS, because of (1) the massive amount of computation performed by regular expression matching algorithms and (2) the giga-bit per second performance requirement of modern NIDS. Hardware-based NIDS take advantage of parallelization inherent in FPGAs, ASICs or network processors to support very high network speeds, while software approaches fail to do so.
Absorption of gases by cellulose fiber cascade impactor surfaces

Abstract Absorption of gaseous HCl and B(OH)3 by Whatman 41 Cellulose fiber impaction surfaces in a Battelle cascade impactor has been observed under laboratory conditions. The amount of absorption is directly proportional, at least in part, to the contact time of the gas stream with the surface. The results suggest that gaseous uptake by cellulose impaction surfaces could significantly influence chemically determined particle size distributions.
BRST-invariant transitions between closed and open strings.

We consider the problem of how closed strings couple to open strings. We obtain a Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin- (BRST-) invariant ``first-quantized'' operator \ensuremath{\Upsilon} which codes off-shell transitions between a single closed-string state and a single open-string state. \ensuremath{\Upsilon} is obtained in both the bosonic and the fermionic language for the ghosts. We confirm that \ensuremath{\Upsilon} implies the correct scattering amplitudes for one closed string in its tachyonic and massless states and any number of tachyon open strings. Our BRST-invariant transition operator is then used in a novel analysis of the Cremmer-Scherk-Higgs mechanism, in which the open-string photon and the closed-string antisymmetric tensor get a mass. We close with some remarks on the possible usefulness of our methods for string field theory.
Prospective randomized comparison of high energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy versus alpha-blocker treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

AbstractPurpose: We compare directly the efficacy and safety of targeted high energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy with alpha-blocker treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Materials and Methods: In this randomized prospective study 52 patients with symptomatic BPH received terazosin and 51 underwent high energy transurethral microwave therapy with topical anesthesia. Patient evaluation included determination of International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS), peak flow rate and quality of life score before transurethral microwave therapy or terazosin and periodically up to 6 months thereafter.Results: At 2-week followup the terazosin group transiently exhibited significantly greater improvement than the transurethral microwave therapy group in mean values of all 3 primary efficacy parameters of I-PSS, peak flow rate and quality of life score. At 12 weeks and 6 months this pattern was reversed, and the transurethral microwave therapy group achieved significantly greater improvement than the...
Forces that Drive the Self-assembly of Metallic Dots on Semiconductor Substrates

The scaling and ordering of metallic nanoclusters on semiconductor substrates has been explored computationally. Numerical techniques were implemented to calculate the total electrostatic and van der Waals energies for systems containing multiple disks. Observations show that interactions in charge clouds beneath the metallic disks led to an electrostatic repulsive force. Attraction was observed due to the van der Waals energy. An energy barrier exists for disk coalescence. This work suggests the potential of double layer charges in the development of large-scale nanodot systems that require precise control over both dot location and size.
Stage-structured matrix modeling and suggestions for management of atlantic horseshoe crab,Limulus polyphemus, populations on cape cod, massachusetts

The Atlantic horsehoe crab,Limulus polyphemus, is harvested by the biomedical industry for Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL) a blood compound used to detect endotoxins, for scientific research on vision, and as bait for the eel and conch fisheries. They are also subject to sources of natural mortality such as consumption of eggs by shorebirds and stranding. Recently there has been growing concern over possible declines inLimulus populations along the east coast of the United States. We have used stage-structured matrix modeling to improve our understanding ofLimulus population dynamics in three Cape Cod estuaries (Stage Harbor, Pleasant Bay, and Barnstable Harbor) with differing harvest pressures. The results suggest that a low level of harvest is sustainable, particularly if timing and size-specificity of the harvest are taken into consideration. The model also suggests that efforts should be made to avoid harvesting crabs prior to sexual maturity, as the population growth rate is more sensitive to changes in survival rate of older juveniles than of other stages. The information the model provides could assist local and regional fisheries managers in establishing appropriate regulations for the horseshoe crab fishery.
Localization of repeated DNA sequences in CsCl gradients by hybridization with complementary RNA

Abstract Single-stranded ends of mouse satellite DNA sequences exposed during the extraction of nuclear DNA, or by mechanical shear, can hybridize with highly labelled RNA, complementary to satellite DNA. In neutral CsCl gradients, the hybrid sediments as a sharp peak at the density of mouse satellite DNA (1.691 g/cm3). The possibility of exploiting this observation in locating and isolating cryptic repetitive DNAs from nuclear DNA or the DNA of heterochromatin is discussed.
Oxidative stress in nongenotoxic carcinogenesis

The induction of oxidative stress in the target tissue has been proposed as a possible mechanism of action for nongenotoxic carcinogens. A variety of nongenotoxic hepatocarcinogens including peroxisome proliferators, organochlorines, barbiturates, and metals have been shown to produce an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver. Our group has examined the induction of oxidative stress by the organochlorine mouse hepatic carcinogen, dieldrin. Using a salicylate spin trap assay, dieldrin was found to produce mouse liver-specific increases in ROS in cultured hepatocytes. Increased amounts of hepatic 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased levels of cellular antioxidants were also seen in cultured mouse hepatocytes following dieldrin treatment. In subchronically dieldrin-treated mice and rats, hepatic vitamin E (Vit E) was decreased correlated with dieldrin dose. While Vit E levels were decreased in both rats and mice, the normal lower levels of Vit E in the mouse resulted in a subsequent oxidative stress, evidenced by an increase in MDA formation in the mouse liver. Dieldrin also produced a dose-dependent increase in DNA synthesis in the mouse (not the rat) following subchronic treatment. These effects seen in both cells in culture and in vivo were species specific, organ specific, and dose dependent which directly correlated with the observed pattern of cancer induction for dieldrin in rodents (mouse liver-specific). These findings support a possible role for the induction of oxidative stress in nongenotoxic hepatic carcinogenesis possibly through modulation of gene expression.
Space Shuttle Main Engine Health Monitoring with Exhaust Plume Emission Spectroscopy

The spectral data from some recent engine test e rings at the A-1 test stand are presented and discussed. On Jan. 25, 1996, test 901-853, a planned 754-s test on block II development engine 0523, was cut by the plume observer at approximately 553 s due to abnormal streaking and e ashing in the plume. Also, increased vibration levelsand degrading turbineperformancewereobserved. Thealternateturbopumphigh-pressurefuel turbopump experienced major turbine damage during the test. Space Shuttle main engine exhaust plume emission spectral data obtained by various instrumentation are described for test 901-853 and tests 901-851 and 901-852 in which the same four turbopumps were utilized on engine 0523. Spectral data show extreme sensitivity of this technology in detecting abnormal wearof metallic components. The optical multichannel analyzer systems observed emission lines of Ni, Cr, Fe, Co, Al, Mn, Cu, Ag, and Pd during several major plume events during test 901-853. It is the largest number of metallic elements observed at one time in the plume at the Stennis Space Center ever since the exhaust plume emission spectroscopy technology was e rst implemented at the A-1 test stand in 1989. Most of the emission events in test 901-853 are highly localized in the plume as evidenced by high-speed and low-speed video cameras. This nonuniformity introduces additional complications for the mass quantie cation algorithms. These algorithms have previously shown to be extremely accurate when the assumption of uniform distribution of plumecontaminantsholds.Thesequantie cationproblems,somewhatuniqueto test901-853 orothertestsinvolving substantial degradationofoneormoremajorlinereplaceableunitssuch thattheplumeevents arehighly localized, are further discussed.
Application of Pressurized Solvents for Ultrafast Trypsin Hydrolysis in Proteomics: Proteomics on the Fly

A new method for rapid proteolytic digestion of proteins under high pressure that uses pressure cycling technology in the range of 5−35 kpsi was demonstrated for proteomic analysis. Successful in-solution digestions of single proteins and complex protein mixtures were achieved in 60 s and then analyzed by reversed phase liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion trap-mass spectrometry. Method performance in terms of the number of Shewanella oneidensis peptides and proteins identified in a shotgun approach was evaluated relative to a traditional “overnight” sample preparation method. Advantages of the new method include greatly simplified sample processing, easy implementation, no cross contamination among samples, and cost effectiveness.
Metal ion separations using electrically switched ion exchange

An electrochemical method for metal ion separations, called electrically switched ion exchange (ESIX), is described in this paper. In this method, direct oxidation and reduction of an electroactive film attached to an electrode surface is used to load and unload the film with alkali metal cations. The electroactive films under investigation are nickel hexacyanoferrates, which are deposited on the surface by applying an anodic potential to a nickel electrode in a solution containing the ferricyanide anion. Reported film preparation procedures have been modified to produce films with improved capacity and stability. Electrochemical behavior of the derivatized electrodes has been investigated with the use of cyclic voltammetry and chronocoulometry. The films show selectivity for cesium in concentrated sodium solutions. Raman spectroscopy has been used to directly monitor changes in the oxidation state of the film, and imaging experiments have demonstrated that the redox reactions are spatially homogeneous across the film.
A note on the time–series relationship between market industry concentration and market volatility

Abstract Using cross-sectional regression analysis, previous studies provide conflicting results regarding the relationship between market industry concentration and market volatility. This paper investigates this relationship in the time–series. Using data from twenty one developed markets and the world market, we find that this relationship is significant and positive in about 61% of the markets: the more concentrated the market, the more volatile the market. We also find that, in 70% of the markets, there exists a causal relationship between market industry concentration and market volatility and the direction of causality runs from the former to the latter. Our results suggest that market industrial structure is a significant factor in explaining market volatility.
Competition and Resilience between Founder and Introduced Bacteria in the Caenorhabditis elegans Gut

The microbial communities that reside within the intestinal tract in vertebrates are complex and dynamic. In this report, we establish the utility of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system for identifying the factors that contribute to bacterial persistence and for host control of gut luminal populations. We found that for N2 worms grown on mixed lawns of bacteria, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium substantially outcompeted Escherichia coli, even when E. coli was initially present at 100-fold-higher concentrations. To address whether innate immunity affects the competition, the daf-2 and daf-16 mutants were studied; their total gut bacterial levels reflect overall capacity for colonization, but Salmonella outcompeted E. coli to an extent similar to wild-type worms. To address the role of virulence properties, Salmonella Δspi-1 Δspi-2 was used to compete with E. coli. The net differential was significantly less than that for wild-type Salmonella; thus, spi-1 spi-2 encodes C. elegans colonization factors. An E. coli strain with repeated in vivo passage had an enhanced ability to compete against an in vitro-passed E. coli strain and against Salmonella. Our data provide evidence of active competition for colonization niches in the C. elegans gut, as determined by bacterial factors and subject to in vivo selection.
Pulmonary histopathologic abnormalities and predictor variables in autopsies of burned pediatric patients.

Abstract Pulmonary abnormalities occur in 30–80% of fatalities after burn. The objective of our study is to investigate lung pathology in autopsy tissues of pediatric burn patients. Methods Three scientists with pathology training in pediatric burn care reviewed masked autopsy slides of burned children who died after admission to a burn center from 2002 to 2012 ( n = 43). Autopsy lung tissue was assigned scores for histologic abnormalities in 9 categories, including alveolar and interstitial fibrosis, hyaline membranes, and type II epithelial cell proliferation. Scores were then tested for correlation with age, TBSA burn, number of days between burn and death, time between burn and admission, and the presence of inhalation injury using analyses with linear models. Results Type II epithelial cell proliferation was significantly more common in cases with a longer time between burn and admission ( p p p p p Conclusions Histological findings associated with diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), which is the pathological correlate of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), were seen in approximately 42% of autopsies studied. Protein-rich alveolar edema, which is the abnormality that leads to ARDS, may occur from multiple causes, including inhalation injury.
Estimation of Dissipative Heating Using Low-Level In Situ Aircraft Observations in the Hurricane Boundary Layer

Abstract Data collected in the low-level atmospheric boundary layer in five hurricanes by NOAA research aircraft are analyzed to measure turbulence with scales small enough to retrieve the rate of dissipation. A total of 49 flux runs suitable for analysis are identified in the atmospheric boundary layer within 200 m above the sea surface. Momentum fluxes are directly determined using the eddy correlation method, and drag coefficients are also calculated. The dissipative heating is estimated using two different methods: 1) integrating the rate of dissipation in the surface layer and 2) multiplying the drag coefficient by the cube of surface wind speed. While the latter method has been widely used in theoretical models as well as several numerical models simulating hurricanes, these analyses show that using this method would significantly overestimate the magnitude of dissipative heating. Although the dataset used in this study is limited by the surface wind speed range <30 m s−1, this work highlights that ...
Inhibition of LSD1 reduces herpesvirus infection, shedding, and recurrence by promoting epigenetic suppression of viral genomes

Herpesviruses are highly prevalent and maintain lifelong latent reservoirs, thus posing challenges to the control of herpetic disease despite the availability of antiviral pharmaceuticals that target viral DNA replication. The initiation of herpes simplex virus infection and reactivation from latency is dependent on a transcriptional coactivator complex that contains two required histone demethylases, LSD1 (lysine-specific demethylase 1) and a member of the JMJD2 family (Jumonji C domain–containing protein 2). Inhibition of either of these enzymes results in heterochromatic suppression of the viral genome and blocks infection and reactivation in vitro. We demonstrate that viral infection can be epigenetically suppressed in three animal models of herpes simplex virus infection and disease. Treating animals with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor tranylcypromine to inhibit LSD1 suppressed viral lytic infection, subclinical shedding, and reactivation from latency in vivo. This phenotypic suppression was correlated with enhanced epigenetic suppression of the viral genome and suggests that, even during latency, the chromatin state of the virus is dynamic. Therefore, epi-pharmaceuticals may represent a promising approach to treat herpetic diseases.
GROWTH, NUTRITION AND GAS EXCHANGE OF BROMUS INERMIS INOCULATED WITH GLOMUS FASCICULA TUM

SUMMARY Plants of Bromus inermis Leyss. inoculated or not with the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus fasciculatum (Thaxter sensu. Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe, were pre-conditioned at two soil moisture levels (Φs− 0.03 or − 0.8 MPa) for 17 weeks, then subjected to a drying cycle. Stomatal conductance (g1), soil-plant liquid flow resistance (Rs−p), and photosynthesis rates (Ps) were measured before, during, and after the drying cycle. Soil water stress and mycorrhizal inoculation significantly reduced plant top dry weight during the 18 week study. Chlamydospore production by the mycorrhizal symbiont G. fasciculatum was significantly increased by soil water stress of −0.8 MPa. Foliar Ca and Mg concentrations were significantly greater in mycorrhizal plants. Foliar concentrations of P, K, N, Mn, Zn and Cu were significantly greater in drought stressed plants whereas Ca and Mg concentrations were significantly greater in well-watered plants. Mycorrhizal plants pre-conditioned at Φs−0.8 MPa had 36 and 34% lower Rs−p values than nonmycorrhizal plants at pre and peak drought sampling times, respectively. Following re-irrigation, g1 was 64% greater in mycorrhizal plants when compared to nonmycorrhizal plants. Inoculation with G. fasciculatum increased photosynthesis rates by 20, 52, and 22 % over the noninoculated plants before, during, and after the drying cycle respectively. Despite increased rates of photosynthesis, top dry weight of mycorrhizal plants was 15 % less than that of noninoculated plants. Regardless of inoculation treatment, plants pre-conditioned at ΦS−0.8 MPa exhibited greater g1 and Ps values during and after the drying cycle. Bromus inermis demonstrated the ability to adapt to water deficits. Mycorrhizal symbiosis may play a role in the adaptation of B. inermis to dry sites.
Monte Carlo estimation for guaranteed-coverage nonnormal tolerance intervals

We propose a Monte Carlo sampling algorithm for estimating guaranteed-coverage tolerance factors for normormal continuous distributions with known shape but unknown mean and variance. The algorithm is based on reformulating this root-finding problem as a quantile-estimation problem. Our quantile-estimation algorithm always converges, usually faster than stochastic-approximation algorithms, which are designed for general root-finding.
Welfare Reform and Elderly Immigrants' Naturalization: Access to Public Benefits as an Incentive for Naturalization in the United States

Welfare reform in the United States restricted non-citizens' eligibility for public assistance programs and strengthened economic benefits from naturalization. We examine the impact of these policy changes on elderly immigrants' naturalization, considering their level of need for public benefits. Using individual data from the Current Population Survey as well as state-level data, we employ a differences-in-differences approach to consider variations in time, state policy, and probability of Medicaid participation. Results show that naturalization significantly increased among elderly immigrants who were likely to participate in Medicaid, suggesting that elderly immigrants in need of Medicaid became naturalized to maintain their eligibility for public benefits after welfare reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Differential Background Clearance of Fluorodeoxyglucose Activity in Normal Tissues and its Clinical Significance

The clearance of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) activity in normal tissues varies significantly with extended distribution time. Although most tissues have lower standardized uptake value (SUV) on 2-hour/3-hour delayed images, others may have stable or higher FDG activity with longer distribution times. The continuously decreased SUV on delayed imaging in some tissues, especially in the liver, indicates that longer distribution time will decrease background activity, increase lesion-to-background ratio, and thus improve imaging quality, whereas the continuously increased SUV from 1 to 3 hours in the heart suggest that longer distribution time will improve detection of viable myocardium in a viability study.
The inclusion of wall loss in finite-difference time-domain thin-slot algorithms

The authors present two methods for incorporating slot wall loss into the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations. The walls are assumed to be good conductors. Loss is only applied to the current component that flows axially along the slot walls, which is generally the dominant component for slots that are long and narrow. The first method modifies an FDTD equation internal to the slot to include a surface-impedance contribution. This method is appropriate for the usual FDTD thin-slot formalisms. The second method includes the losses into a half-space integral equation that can be used by the recently introduced hybrid thin-slot algorithm. Results based on the two methods are compared for a variety of slot parameters and wall conductivities. >
Transcriptional strategy of closteroviruses: mapping the 5' termini of the citrus tristeza virus subgenomic RNAs.

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) induces formation of a nested set of at least nine 3' coterminal subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs) in infected tissue. The organization and expression of the 19,296-nucleotide (nt) CTV genome resembles that of coronaviruses, with polyprotein processing, translational frameshifting, and multiple sgRNA formation, but phylogenetically the CTV polymerase, like polymerases of other closteroviruses, belongs to the Sindbis virus-like lineage of RNA virus polymerases. Both positive-strand RNA virus supergroups, coronaviruses and Sindbis-like viruses, utilize different mechanisms of transcription. To address the mechanism of CTV transcription, 5' termini for the two most abundant sgRNAs, 1.5 and 0.9 kb, respectively, were mapped by runoff reverse transcription. The two sgRNAs were demonstrated to have 48- and 38-nt 5' untranslated regions (5'-UTRs), respectively. The 5'-UTR for the 1.5-kb RNA was cloned, sequenced, and demonstrated to be colinear with the 48-nt genomic sequence upstream of the initiator codon of the respective open reading frame 10, i.e., to be of continuous template origin. The data obtained suggest that the sgRNA transcription of CTV is dissimilar from the coronavirus transcription and consistent with the transcriptional mechanism of other Sindbis-like viruses. Thus, the Sindbis virus-like mechanism of transcription of the positive-strand RNA genomes might be successfully utilized by the closterovirus genome of up to 19.3 kb with multiple sgRNAs.
Cholesterol loading reprograms the microRNA-143/145-myocardin axis to convert aortic smooth muscle cells to a dysfunctional macrophage-like phenotype.

Objective— We previously showed that cholesterol loading in vitro converts mouse aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) from a contractile state to one resembling macrophages. In human and mouse atherosclerotic plaques, it has become appreciated that ≈40% of cells classified as macrophages by histological markers may be of VSMC origin. Therefore, we sought to gain insight into the molecular regulation of this clinically relevant process. Approach and Results— VSMC of mouse (or human) origin were incubated with cyclodextrin–cholesterol complexes for 72 hours, at which time the expression at the protein and mRNA levels of contractile-related proteins was reduced and of macrophage markers increased. Concurrent was downregulation of miR-143/145, which positively regulate the master VSMC differentiation transcription factor myocardin. Mechanisms were further probed in mouse VSMC. Maintaining the expression of myocardin or miR-143/145 prevented and reversed phenotypic changes caused by cholesterol loading. Reversal was also seen when cholesterol efflux was stimulated after loading. Notably, despite expression of macrophage markers, bioinformatic analyses showed that cholesterol-loaded cells remained closer to the VSMC state, consistent with impairment in classical macrophage functions of phagocytosis and efferocytosis. In apoE-deficient atherosclerotic plaques, cells positive for VSMC and macrophage markers were found lining the cholesterol-rich necrotic core. Conclusions— Cholesterol loading of VSMC converts them to a macrophage-appearing state by downregulating the miR-143/145–myocardin axis. Although these cells would be classified by immunohistochemistry as macrophages in human and mouse plaques, their transcriptome and functional properties imply that their contributions to atherogenesis would not be those of classical macrophages.
Conservation, Commerce, and Communities: The Story of Community-Based Wildlife Management Areas in Tanzania's Northern Tourist Circuit

This article explores the convergence of poverty reduction and con- servation in Tanzania, focusing on the work of transnational conservation organisations. It outlines the ways in which this convergence has been con- ceptualised in the context of large-scale landscape conservation, most notably community-based Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). We argue that the overriding priorities of large landscape conservation in Tanzania are revalu- ing landscapes in ways that make them desirable and available to private in- vestors, while keeping key wildlife migration corridors free of human habitation. We describe the ways in which these twin priorities actually exacerbate poverty and undermine democracy at the community level through a case study of communities living between Tarangire and Lake Manyara Na- tional Parks in Tanzania's northern tourist circuit. We then discuss how and why these realities are rendered invisible in the discourses and images of transnational conservation. We conclude by proposing alternative approaches that we believe would contribute to improved conservation governance and community prosperity.
Observations on the role of brain stereotactic radiosurgery

As a research paradigm (1) evaluated measures of animal performance correlated with markers of microglia activation and inflammation as they sought to see the effects of more focused radiation in two-month-old male athymic nude rats. The authors used intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arch therapy (VMAT) to irradiate the hippocampus either unilaterally or bilaterally. Treatment plans delivered a total dose of 10 Gy to either one or both hemispheres of the rat brain. Their data suggests that specific behavioral tasks could be reduced by focused radiation delivered to the hippocampus, and in unilaterally treated animals, the contralateral brain seemed to up-regulate repair mechanisms. This report provides additional information relative to the mechanisms of radiobiological effect using targeted radiation.
Steady, supercritical flow in collapsible tubes. Part 2. Theoretical studies

Theories are developed to explain the experimental observations of steady, supercritical flow in compliant, partially collapsed tubes, presented in the companion paper (part 1). It is shown that the measured curves of area vs . distance are governed by a combination of (i) friction and gravity, which produce mean gradients of area, and (ii) longitudinal bending and tension forces, which produce standing waves of area superposed upon the mean gradients. The experiments confirm the one-dimensional theory for the mean gradients: (i) in the absence of gravity, friction causes a pressure rise and a positive mean gradient of area; (ii) a downward slope can cancel gravity and lead asymptotically to a uniform state having zero gradients of pressure and area. The inviscid dispersion relationship for area waves due to longitudinal bending and tension is developed, based on a simple, approximate model for the mechanics of the tube. The phase velocity increases as the wavelength decreases, hence the group velocity exceeds the phase velocity. Consequently, in steady flows that are supercritical with respect to the infinite-wavelength phase velocity, energy can propagate upstream and standing waves of area may appear. In the experiments of part 1, longitudinal tension predominated over longitudinal bending. The measured wavelengths of standing waves were found to be in general agreement with the dispersion relationship for tension-induced area waves. The observed streamwise growth of standing area waves is interpreted physically as the attenuation of waves radiating upstream from a source of disturbance such as a shock-like rapid increase of area. The rate of wave attenuation indicates that the skin-friction coefficient has a large out-of-phase oscillatory component. The observed steepness of shock transitions agrees with an approximate theory based on treating the forward portion of the shock as the rearward part of the standing wave train that the shock drives upstream.
Reorganization of the structures, morphologies, and conformations of bulk polymers via coalescence from polymer–cyclodextrin inclusion compounds

Bulk poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) samples have been produced by the coalescence of their segregated, extended chains from the narrow channels of the crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs) formed between the γ-cyclodextrin (CD) host and PET and PC guests, which are reported for the first time. Differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray observations of PET and PC samples coalesced from their crystalline γ-CD-ICs suggest structures and morphologies that are different from those of samples obtained by ordinary solution and melt processing techniques. For example, as-received PC is generally amorphous with a glass-transition temperature (T g ) of about 150 °C; when cast from tetrahydrofuran solutions, PC is semicrystalline with a melting temperature (T m ) of about 230 °C; and after PC/y-CD-IC is washed with hot water for the removal of the host γ-CD and for the coalescence of the guest PC chains, it is semicrystalline but has an elevated T m value of about 245 °C. PC crystals formed upon the coalescence of highly extended and segregated PC chains from the narrow channels in the γ-CD host lattice are possibly more chain-extended and certainly more stable than chain-folded PC crystals grown from solution. Melting the PC crystals formed by coalescence from PC/y-CD-IC produces a normal amorphous PC melt that, upon cooling, results in typical glassy PC. PET coalesced from its γ-CD-IC crystals, although also semicrystalline, displays a T m value only marginally elevated from that of typical bulk or solution-crystallized PET samples. However, after the melting of γ-CD-IC-coalesced PET crystals, it is difficult to quench the resultant PET melt into the usual amorphous PET glass, characterized by a T g value of about 80 °C. Instead, the coalesced PET melt rapidly recrystallizes during the attempted quench, and so upon reheating, it displays neither a T g nor a crystallization exotherm but simply remelts at the as-coalesced T m . This behavior is unaffected by the coalesced PET sample being held above T m for 2 h, indicating that the extended, unentangled nature of the chains in the noncrystalline regions of the coalesced PET are not easily converted into the completely disordered, randomly coiled, entangled melt. Apparently, the highly extended, unentangled characters of the PC and PET chains in their γ-CD-ICs are at least partially retained after they are coalesced. Initial differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray observations are described here.
Induction of Th1 and Th2 CD4+ subsets during murine Leishmania major infection

Mise en evidence du besoin en interferon gamma et en interleukine 4 lors de la presentation des antigenes parasitaires afin d'obtenir la maturation des sous populations cellulaires de cellules helper Th1 et Th2
Hydrogel network design using multifunctional macromers to coordinate tissue maturation in ovarian follicle culture

Synthetic hydrogels with tunable properties are appealing for regenerative medicine. A critical limitation in hydrogel design at low solids concentration is the formation of defects, which increase gelation times and swelling, and reduce elasticity. Here, we report that trifunctional cross-linking peptides applied to 4-arm poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels decreased swelling and gelation time relative to bi-functional crosslinkers. In contrast to bi-functional peptides, the third cross-linking site on the peptide created a branch point if an intramolecular cross-link formed, which prevented non-functional "dangling-ends" in the hydrogel network and enhanced the number of elastically active cross-links. The improved network formation enabled mouse ovarian follicle encapsulation and maturation in vitro. Hydrogels with bi-functional crosslinkers resulted in cellular dehydration, likely due to osmosis during the prolonged gelation. For trifunctional crosslinkers, the hydrogels supported a 17-fold volumetric expansion of the tissue during culture, with expansion dependent on the ability of the follicle to rearrange its microenvironment, which is controlled through the sensitivity of the cross-linking peptide to the proteolytic activity of plasmin. The improved network design enabled ovarian follicle culture in a completely synthetic system, and can advance fertility preservation technology for women facing premature infertility from anticancer therapies.
Strontium Substitution for Calcium in Lithogenesis

Purpose: Strontium has chemical similarity to calcium, which enables the replacement of calcium by strontium in biomineralization processes. Incorporating strontium into human bone and teeth has been studied extensively but little research has been performed of the incorporation of strontium into urinary calculi. We used synchrotron based x-ray fluorescence and x-ray absorption techniques to examine the presence of strontium in different types of human kidney stones.Materials and Methods: Multiple unique human stone samples were obtained via consecutive percutaneous nephrolithotomies/ureteroscopies. A portion of each stone was sent for standard laboratory analysis and a portion was retained for x-ray fluorescence and x-ray absorption measurements. X-ray fluorescence and x-ray absorption measurements determined the presence, spatial distribution and speciation of strontium in each stone sample.Results: Traditional kidney stone analyses identified calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid and cystine st...