cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in floral diversities, floral turnover rates, and climates in Campanian and Maastrichtian time, North Slope of Alaska

Abstract One-hundred-and-ten angiosperm pollen taxa have been found in upper Campanian to Masstrichtian rocks of the Colville River region, North Slope of Alaska. These are the highest paleolatitude Campanian and Maastrichtian floras known from North America. Total angiosperm pollen diversity rose during the Campanian and declined toward the end of the Maastrichtian. However, anemophilous porate pollen of the Betulaceae-Myricaceae-Ulmaceae complex increased gradually in diversity during the late Campanian and Maastrichtian and into the Paleocene. Turnover of angiosperm taxa was active throughout most of late Campanian and Maastrichtian time; rapid turnover affected mainly the taxa of zoophilous herbs, representing an bundant but ecologically subordinate element of the vegetation. Last appearances of pollen taxa during the late Campanian and Maastrichtian probably represented mainly extinctions rather than emigrations; end- Cretaceous angiosperm extinctions in the North American Arctic began well before the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event. The last appearances in the late Maastrichtian took place in bursts; they appear to represent stepwise rather than gradual events, which may indicate the existence of pulses of climatic change particularly in late Maastrichtian time.
Coordination of two-echelon supply chains using wholesale price discount and credit option

Abstract This paper, studies the coordination of two-echelon supply chains using a credit (delayed) payment option and/or a wholesale price discount offer. We develop models for optimizing individual members’, as well as supply chain's objectives. These models lead to the determination of the retail price and the order quantity for the buyer, as well as the production batch size, wholesale discount and/or the credit period offer for the supplier, under five different scenarios. Our analysis indicates the superiority of a coordinating policy that incorporates both a quantity discount, as well as a credit payment option. With equitable profit sharing, such a policy can be beneficial for both the parties towards increasing total supply chain profitability.
External beam radiation therapy to prevent postangioplasty dialysis access restenosis

Abstract Purpose. To evaluate the feasibility and short-term side-effects of postangioplasty external beam radiation for patients with compromised arteriovenous dialysis accesses. Materials and Methods. Ten patients with compromised arteriovenous dialysis accesses were studied. Following confirmation of access compromise by an angiogram, patients were treated by a standard angioplasty ± stent deployment. The target volume incorporated a margin of 1 cm beyond the angioplastied segment. The first 5 patients were treated to a dose of 12 Gy in two 6-Gy fractions spaced 48 h apart, whereas the next 5 patients were treated to 8 Gy in two similarly separated 4-Gy fractions. Five of the patients had at least one prior access that had failed. The current access had been in use for 6–52 months, and 5 of the 10 patients had at least one episode of compromise involving the current access. The length of stenosis ranged from 2 to 9 cm (mean 4.4 cm). All patients were followed clinically for adequacy of dialysis; a radiological follow-up with a fistulogram was performed for all in 3-monthly intervals. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 10 months, with a median follow-up of 6 months. Results. There were no procedure-related complications. Three patients developed a restenosis at the site of the original stenosis, and one patient developed a restenosis at the edge of the stent. As part of the natural history of this process, five patients have also developed new lesions elsewhere in the proximal veins requiring radiological intervention. None of the patients showed any radiation-related side effects, either in the skin/soft tissues, or in the vasculature on follow-up angiograms. Conclusions. Several different radiotherapeutic approaches are being currently investigated to prevent postangioplasty restenosis. There are several issues involved with the use of endovascular brachytherapy in these patients. On the other hand, given the superficial location of the dialysis access, we believe that external beam radiation offers a safe and simple method of radiation therapy in this setting. The clinical efficacy of this modality needs to be established through a randomized phase III trial.
SU‐E‐T‐97: Controllable Fluid Flow Using Polymer Compartments within a Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) Imaging Phantom Design for Quality Assurance

Purpose: Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging, a powerful tool for prognosis and evaluation during cancer treatment, lacks objective validation of derived quantitative metrics for practical clinical application. Existing validation techniques are limited to small animal models, simulation datasets, preserved organs and static phantoms, all of which fail to provide a reliable, re‐usable means for repeated studies under known system conditions. This work investigates the use of tissue‐like compartments of differential perfusion, which produce distinct signal intensities within a DCE image study. Methods :Using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS, a rapid prototyping technique), three‐dimensional computerized vascular trees with modular tissue compartments were manufactured. The last level of bifurcation within the network feeds compartments which house scaffolds. Scaffolds were fabricated using three techniques, each of which achieves a different minimum pore size and structural architecture: salt leaching‐solvent casting (SC/SL), SLS and inverted colloidal crystal (ICC). For each scaffold type, perfusion characteristics were examined in order to evaluate the differential flow rate realizable.Results: Vascular networks with four orders of bifurcation were produced. Four terminal vessels connect to a single compartment. Three scaffold techniques were used to generate scaffolds with pore sizes between 100 – 1000 microns. Estimated permeabilities of each technique were: SLS (1.60E‐5 ‐ 1.12E‐4 m4/N·s), SL/SC (1.48E‐7 ‐ 1.75E‐6 m4/N·s) and ICC (9.17E‐8 ‐ 3.29E‐7 m4/N·s). Each scaffold type offered a distinct differential flow Conclusions: The permeability characteristics supporting phantom‐based simulation of hepatic parenchyma perfusion are achievable using scaffolds. In the development of a perfusion phantom for quality assurance of DCE imaging and analysis, these compartments of known permeability may be used to validate systems. Current efforts include computing the known volumetric flow rate and performing various DCE post‐processing techniques on the phantom.
Morphological stability analysis of directional solidification into an oscillatory fluid layer

We study the stability of a planar solid-melt boundary during directional solidification of a binary alloy when the solid is being periodically vibrated in the direction parallel to the boundary (or equivalently, under a far field uniform and oscillatory flow parallel to the planar boundary). The analysis is motivated by directional solidification experiments under the low level residual acceleration field characteristic of a microgravity environment, and possible effects on crystal growth in space. It is known that periodic modulation of the solid-melt interface under the conditions stated induces second order stationary streaming flows within a boundary layer adjacent to the interface, the thickness of which is the same as the wavelength of the modulation. We derive an effective solute transport equation by averaging over the fast time scale of the oscillatory flow, and obtain the resulting dispersion relation for a small disturbance of a planar interface. We find both regions of stationary and oscillatory instability. For small ratios of the viscous to solutal layer thicknesses, s, the flow generally destabilizes the planar interface. For s≃1, the flow stabilizes the stationary branch, but it can also excite an oscillatory instability. For large s, the effect of the flow is small.
Reflectance measurement of artificially induced ultraviolet radiation stress on cotton leaves

Abstract Cotton plants ( Gossypium hirsutum L. cv ‘McNair 220’) at the third true leaf stage were exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) for seven days and compared with controls that received only natural light. Light reflectance was spectrophotometrically measured over the 0.5–2.5 μm waveband no nonexcised leaves immediately after treatment and again seven days later. Spectral measurements were also conducted on plant leaves that received only natural light. Leaves of cotton plants exposed to UVR had less near-infrared reflectance at the 0.85-μm wavelength than control leaves. This was apparently caused by altered leaf size and structure. The UVR-treated leaves were thinner, smaller in area, and had a different mesophyll structure than control leaves. Results indicate that reflectance measurements at the 0.85-μm wavelength may be useful to detect UVR-damaged cotton plants.
Reconciling Fechner and Stevens: toward a unified psychophysical law

How does subjective magnitude, S. increase as physical magnitude or intensity, I, increases? Direct ratings (magnitude scales; partition or category scales) can be fitted by the power function, S = aIb, in which S equals I raised to a power or exponent, b, and multiplied by a measure constant, a. The exponent is typically about twice as large for the magnitude scale (Stevens) as for the corresponding partition or category scale, but the higher exponent may be explained by the overly expansive way people use numbers in making magnitude estimations. The partition or category scale and the adjusted (for the use of number) magnitude scale for a given modality or condition generally agree with the neurelectric scale and the summated just noticeable difference (jnd) scale. A unified psychophysical law is proposed in which each jnd has the same subjective magnitude for a given modality or condition, subjective magnitude increases as approximately a power function of physical magnitude with the exponent ranging from near 0 to 1 (compressive function), and subjective magnitude depends primarily on peripheral sensory processes, that is, no nonlinear central transformations occur. An undue reliance on Weber's law blinded Fechner to the fact that the true psychophysical scale is approximately a power function. Rejecting Weber's law, which is not valid, means that we no longer have to choose between letting the summated jnd scale be a logarithmic function (Fechner's law) and introducing a nonlinear central transformation to make it into a power function (Brentano–Ekman-Teghtsoonian's law). Fechner and Stevens erred equally about the true psychophysical power function, whose exponent lies halfway between that of Fechner (an exponent approaching zero) and that of Stevens. To be reconciled, Fechnerians must give up the assumptions that Webers law is valid and that the jnd has the same subjective magnitude across modalities and conditions; Stevensians must give up the assumption that the unadjusted (for the use of number) magnitude scale is a direct measure of subjective magnitude.
Asymptotic kinetics of phase coarsening in dilute systems

A detailed discussion is presented of the monopole approximation commonly used to model coarsening systems, whereby each particle is represented by an equivalent point source or sink of solute located at the particle center. This approach applies the interfacial boundary condition only in an average sense for each particle and does not exclude the interior volume of the particles from the field domain. These approximations introduce an error in the derived coarsening rate that scales as Φ 1/3 to first order, where Φ is the volume fraction of the dispersed phase. This error is larger than the Φ 1/2 correction to infinitely dilute systems (Φ = 0) that results from analyses of electrostatic monopole interactions.
Simulation and Experiments of Airborne Zero-Group-Velocity Lamb Waves in Concrete Plate

The impact-echo (IE) test method has been widely used to determine the thickness of a plate and to locate delaminations in reinforced-concrete structures. It was later realized that the IE mode is related to the Zero-Group-Velocity S1 Lamb mode (S1ZGV). An efficient inspection of a structure using rapid, noncontact, air-coupled sensing technology is of great interest. The objective of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of air-coupled sensing to detect the ZGV Lamb mode signals. Numerical simulation and experimental verification were performed to study the in-air ZGV vibration responses induced by a point impact applied on a concrete plate. Two concrete plates, one without delamination and one with delamination, were tested and simulated. For each plate, the simulation results agreed well with the experimental results, and both methods estimated the plate thickness precisely. The numerical simulations also visualized the pressure field in the air and are helpful for interpretation of the experimental results. The numerical and experimental results suggest that the air-coupled sensing technology can serve as an effective and rapid inspection tool for large concrete structures.
Effects of pretrial publicity on male and female jurors and judges in a mock rape trial.

A study explored influence of pretrial publicity and gender identity on verdicts and severity of sentence in a mock rape trial. Mock jurors and judges were exposed to four pretrial publicity condit...
Primordial noble gases in chondrites: the abundance pattern was established in the solar nebula.

Ordinary chondrites, like carbonaceous chondrites, contain primordial noble gases mainly in a minor phase comprising not more than 0.05 percent of the meteorite, probably an iron-chromium sulfide. The neon-20/argon-36 ratios decrease with increasing argon-36 concentration, as expected if the gas pattern was established by condensation from the solar nebula, and was negligibly altered by metamorphism in the meteorite parent bodies. Meteoritic and planetary matter apparently condensed over a substantial range of temperatures.
Simulation of Gas Turbine Reacting Flows

A study of spray combustion with porous inserts was performed using an on-axis fuel used in a concentric Jet-A. Combustion performance was evaluated by measuring exhaust emissions and flame temperatures for different operating conditions with and without ceramic foam inserts of various properties. The results indicated that the enhanced heat transfer in the flame zone could reduce nitrogen oxides and unburned hydrocarbon emissions. Placing a second porous layer downstream could yield further reductions in both emissions. The results for different firing rates and equivalence ratios revealed the residence time in the porous layer is an important factor regulating combustor performance.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
The dichlorovinylation of enolates

Abstract The condensation of certain ketone and ester enolates with trichloroethylene proceeds with surprising ease to yield dichlorovinylation products. The trans stereochemistry for one such product is established by X-ray, and subsequent transformations of these initial products to ethinyl or ω-chloroethinyl derivatives is described.
A GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF THE FACIES MODEL OF SALT MARSH DEPOSITS

Salt marsh deposits are developed along many tidal flat areas, lagoons, bays, etc. They are characterized by small thickness, special sedimentary structures, high organic content, growth of phanerogamous halophytes, and often by scarcity or absence of microfauna. A graphical representation of a section at Ameland (The Netherlands) is given, as well as radiographs of a sandy (Ameland) and a clayey (California) marsh sample. Little structural difference exists between the two.
Variability in anesthetic considerations for arteriovenous fistula creation

IntroductionAnesthetic options for arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation include regional anesthesia (RA), general anesthesia (GA) and local anesthetic for select cases. In addition to the benefits ...
Teaching game AI through Minecraft mods

One of the issues with teaching artificial intelligence (AI) for games is that many AI algorithms work in theory, but have production consequences in terms of speed or memory when actually used in a game. We report on the benefits and drawbacks of modifying or “modding” the commercial game Minecraft for a course on Game AI. This was done to give students the experience of dealing with a commercial game environment where they would have to worry about production consequences with their algorithms. The course was run as an upper level undergraduate elective during the fall of 2011 and included assignments on dynamic terrain generation, character behavior, and world events.
Summary of the workshop on methodologies for environmental public health tracking of air pollution effects.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) program to support state and local projects that characterize the impact of the environment on health. The projects involve compiling, linking, analyzing, and disseminating environmental and health surveillance information, thereby engaging stakeholders and guiding actions to improve public health. One of the EPHT objectives is to track the public health impact of ambient air pollution with analyses that are timely and relevant to state and local stakeholders. To address methodological issues relevant to this objective, in January 2008, government officials and researchers from the USA, Canada, and Europe gathered in Baltimore, Maryland for a 2-day workshop. Using commissioned papers and presentations on key methodological issues as well as examples of previous air pollution impact assessments, work group discussions produced a set of consensus recommendations for the EPHT program. These recommendations noted the need for data that will encourage local stakeholders to support continued progress in air pollution control. The limitations of using only local data for analyses were also noted. To improve local estimates of air pollution health impacts, methods were recommended that “borrow strength” from other evidence. An incremental approach to implementing such methods was recommended. The importance and difficulty of communicating uncertainties in local health impact assessments was emphasized, as was the need for coordination among different agencies conducting health impact assessments.
TRISOMY 17-18--AN EVALUATION OF PRECONCEPTIONAL PARENTAL IRRADIATION AS A POSSIBLE ETIOLOGIC FACTOR.

Three new cases of trisomy 17–18 are described. Of particular interest is theoccurrence of cleft palate and lip, third degree hypospadias, rectourethral fistula, split scrotum, and imperforate anus in this syndrome. An evaluation of preconceptional parental irradiation as an etiologic factor is attempted. Although the data are somewhat limited, they do suggest such irradiation may be of significance. The paradoxical association of prolonged gestation and reduced birth weight is confirmed. Examination of data from 51 cases now available indicates that the advanced maternal age effect is significantly less than that demonstrated for mongolism.
Diffuse Microstructural Abnormalities of Normal-Appearing White Matter in Late Life Depression: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

Background Many recent studies have identified white matter abnormalities in late life depression (LLD). These abnormalities include an increased volume of discrete white matter hyperintensities on T2-weighted imaging (WMH) and changes in the diffusion tensor properties of water. However, no study of LLD to date has examined the integrity of white matter outside of WMH (i.e., in normal-appearing white matter). Methods We performed T1- and T2-weighted imaging as well as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in depressed elderly subjects ( n = 73) and nondepressed control subjects ( n = 23) matched for age and cerebrovascular risk factors. The structural images were segmented into white matter, gray matter, cerebrospinal fluid, and WMH. The DTI parameters were calculated in white matter regions of interest after excluding the WMH. Results Compared with control subjects, in the LLD group there were widespread abnormalities in DTI parameters, particularly in prefrontal regions. From a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, the strongest correlations were observed between cognitive processing speed and DTI abnormalities. Conclusions These results suggest that further investigation is warranted to determine potential reversibility and/or prognosis in LLD.
The preparation and properties of cyclic silicon olefins and diene systems

Abstract A synthesis of 1-1-dichloro-1-sila-2-cyclohexene has been achieved. This olefin has been phenylated by means of phenyllithium nad 1,1-diphenyl-1-sila-2-cyclohexene thus prepared. Bromination of 1,1-dichloro-1-sila-2-cyclohexene with N-bromosuccinimide produced several products, one of which was identified as 1,1-dichloro-4-bromo-1-sila-2-cyclohexene. Pyrolysis of the latter produced principally 1,1-dichloro-1-sila-2,4-cyclohexadiene. This cyclic diene reacted with phenyllithium to produce 1,1-diphenyl-1-sila-2,4-cyclohexadiene, a compound which reacted further with maleic anhydride to form a Diels-Alder adduct.
Lie Superalgebras Associated with Constant Sectional Curvature

This note describes an observation connecting Riemannian manifolds of constant sectional curvature with a particular class of Lie superalgebras. Specifically, it is shown that the structural equations of a space M with constant sectional curvature, of one variety or another, nearly coincide with some identities satisfied by tensors which can be used to construct some specific families of Lie superalgebras. In particular, one obtains either osp(n,2), spl(n,2), or osp(4,2n) if the Riemannian manifold has constant curvature, constant holomorphic curvature or constant quaternion-holomorphic curvature, respectively.
The effects of alpha-adrenergic agonists on hyperpnea-induced airway obstruction in dogs.

Two alpha-adrenergic agonists that inhibit hyperpnea-induced airway obstruction (HIAO) in asthmatic subjects were used to examine the role of bronchial blood flow in the development of HIAO in canine periphery airways. A bronchoscope was used to record peripheral airway resistance (Rp) in anesthetized dogs before and after hyperpnea with dry air. Hyperpnea increased Rp 64 +/- 8% (mean +/- SE) above baseline. Treatment with norepinephrine (NOR) either before or at various times after hyperpnea inhibited HIAO (p < 0.01). We also found that NOR inhibited acetylcholine-induced bronchoconstriction. However, beta-adrenergic blockade with propranolol completely eliminated these effects. Thus, NOR inhibited HIAO in canine peripheral airways via the stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors and the attenuation of airway smooth muscle contractility. In contrast, pretreatment with methoxamine (MX) decreased HIAO by approximately 25% when compared with the vehicle control, and this effect was completely eliminated by ...
Levels of genetic variation captured by four descendant populations of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis Engelm.)

An isolated cluster of populations of pinyon pine, Pinus edulis Engelm., was used to study the evolutionary dynamics of the founding of new populations. A large population at Owl Creek Canyon, Colorado, is 150 to 200 km to the north from the main distribution of pinyon pine. The population at Owl Creek was established approximately 450 years ago following long-distance dispersal and it is apparently the source of four tiny descendant populations that have been established in close proximity (5.2–11.2 km) within the last century. Genetic variation was estimated with an electrophoretic survey of proteins. Eight of ten proteins were polymorphic in the analysed populations. The recently established populations showed a reduction in the levels of heterozygosity and a decrease in the mean number of alleles per locus, particularly the two smaller (n<20) and also more distant sites from Owl Creek (Windy Site and Hewlett Gulch). Measures of genetic diversity among populations were consistent with the hypothesis that the four young populations have their source in Owl Creek. In addition, the detected inbreeding might be attributable to the caching of related seeds by birds foraging at the source population. The implications of these results for the management of widespread species, such as pinyon pine, are discussed.
Evidence for size asymmetry of belowground competition

Abstract Theory and previous experimental results suggest that competition for light is size asymmetric, while competition for soil resources is generally size symmetric. However, root competition may be size asymmetric if resources are patchily distributed and larger plants are more likely to reach resource-rich patches. I tested for size symmetry of belowground and total competition in three herbaceous species growing in unhomogenized field soil. In both types of competition, larger individual Bromus inermis neighbors (those germinating two weeks before the target) had greater per-gram effects on Bromus targets than smaller individual neighbors (those germinating two weeks after the target), indicating size asymmetric competition. Size asymmetry was not detected for Bromus neighbors with Hieracium caespitosum and Achillea millefolium targets. The role of resource heterogeneity was not tested directly, but results from this experiment suggest that patchy resources may favor larger plants. Most importantly, this study demonstrates that belowground competition can be size asymmetric. Theorie und bisherige experimentelle Ergebnisse lassen vermuten, dass die Konkurrenz um Licht grosenasymmetrisch ist, wahrend die Konkurrenz um Boden normalerweise grosensymmetrisch ist. Wurzelkonkurrenz kann jedoch grosenasymmetrisch sein, wenn die Ressourcen fleckenhaft verteilt sind und grosere Pflanzen mit hoherer Wahrscheinlichkeit ressourcenreiche Stellen erreichen. Ich testete die Grosensymmetrie der Konkurrenz im Boden und die der Gesamtkonkurrenz bei drei krautigen Arten, die auf inhomogenisiertem Boden wuchsen. Bei beiden Typen von Konkurrenz hatten grosere benachbarte Individuen von Bromus inermis (diejenigen, welche zwei Wochen vor der Zielpflanze keimten) einen hoheren per-Gramm-Effekt auf die Bromus -Zielpflanzen als kleinere benachbarte Individuen (diejenigen, welche zwei Wochen nach den Zielpflanzen keimten). Damit wurde ein Hinweis auf grosenasymmetrische Konkurrenz gegeben. Bei Hieracium caespitosum - und Achillea millefolia -Zielpflanzen mit Bromus -Nachbarpflanzen wurde keine Grosenasymmetrie festgestellt. Die Rolle der Ressourcenheterogenitat wurde nicht direkt getestet, aber die Ergebnisse dieses Experiments deuten an, dass fleckenhafte Ressourcen fur grosere Pflanzen vorteilhaft sind. Von besonderer Wichtigkeit ist, dass diese Studie demonstriert, dass Konkurrenz im Boden grosenasymmetrisch sein kann.
The detection and classification of membrane-spanning proteins

Discriminant analysis can be used to precisely classify membrane proteins as integral or peripheral and to estimate the odds that the classification is correct. Specifically, using 102 membrane proteins from the National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF) database we find that discrimination between integral and peripheral membrane proteins can be achieved with 99% reliability. Hydrophobic segments of integral membrane proteins can also be distinguished from interior segments of globular soluble proteins with better than 95% reliability. We also propose a procedure for determining boundaries of membrane-spanning segments and apply it to several integral membrane proteins. For the limited data available (such as on transplantation antigens), the residues at the boundaries of a membrane-spanning segment are predictable to within the error inherent in the concept of boundary. As a specific indication of resolution, seven membrane-spanning segments of bacteriorhodopsin are resolved with no information other than sequence, and the predicted boundary residues agree with the experimental data on proteolytic cleavage sites. Several definitive but yet to be tested predictions are also made, and the relation to other predictive methods is briefly discussed. A computer program in FORTRAN for prediction of membrane-spanning segments is available from the authors.
Differences in Whole-Cell and Single-Channel Ion Currents across the Plasma Membrane of Mesophyll Cells from Two Closely Related Thlaspi Species

The patch clamp technique was used to study the physiology of ion transport in mesophyll cells from two Thlaspi spp. that differ significantly in their physiology. In comparison with Thlaspi arvense , Thlaspi caerulescens (a heavy metal accumulator) can grow in, tolerate, and accumulate very high levels of certain heavy metals (primarily zinc [Zn] and cadmium) in their leaf cells. The membrane conductance of every T. arvense leaf cell was dominated by a slowly activating, time-dependent outward rectifying current (SKOR). In contrast, only 23% of T. caerulescens cells showed SKOR activity, whereas the remaining 77% exhibit a rapidly developing instantaneous K + outward rectifier (RKOR) current. In contrast to RKOR, the channels underlying the SKOR current were sensitive to changes in the extracellular ion activity. Single-channel recordings indicated the existence of K + channel populations with similar unitary conductances, but distinct channel kinetics and regulation. The correlation between these recordings and the whole-cell data indicated that although one type of channel kinetics is preferentially activated in each Thlaspi spp., both species have the capability to switch between either type of current. Ion substitution in whole-cell and single-channel experiments indicated that although the SKOR and RKOR channels mediate a net outward K + current, they can also allow a significant Zn 2+ permeation (i.e. influx). In addition, single-channel recordings allowed us to identify an infrequent type of plasma membrane divalent cation channel that also can mediate Zn 2+ influx. We propose that the different K + channel types or channel states may result from and are likely to reflect differences in the cytoplasmic and apoplastic ionic environment in each species. Thus, the ability to interchangeably switch between different channel states allows each species to constantly adjust to changes in their apoplastic ionic environment.
Conformationally rigid diphosphine arene–ruthenium(II) complexes as catalysts for transfer hydrogenation of ketones

Abstract Conformationally rigid [(η6-arene)Ru(PP)Cl]CF3SO3 (arene=C6H6 (1), p-MeC6H5CHMe2 (2), 1,3,5-Me3C6H3 (3), and Me6C6 (4); PP is 2-diphenylphosphino-5,6-dimethyl-7-phenyl-7-phosphabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene) compounds have been synthesized from [(η6-arene)RuCl2(DMPP)] (DMPP=3,4-dimethyl-1-phenylphosphole) and diphenylvinylphosphine (DPVP) in the presence of AgCF3SO3. The structures of 2, 3 and 4 were determined by X-ray crystallography. These complexes have been found to be quite effective catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones in 2-propanol in the presence of KOH.
Pilot study of the feasibility of in-office bladder distention using electromotive drug adminstration (EMDA).

Purpose Cystoscopic bladder distention is an important tool in the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial cystitis (IC). We investigated the feasibility of performing bladder distention in the office using two different anesthetic strategies: simple instillation of alkalized lidocaine and electromotive drug administration (EMDA) of lidocaine. Materials and methods Patients presenting with urinary frequency, urgency, and bladder pain were recruited for an office evaluation protocol which included bladder distention under local anesthesia. An initial group of 10 patients underwent bladder distention after instillation of 5 mg/kg alkalized lidocaine. A second group of 11 patients had lidocaine EMDA anesthesia prior to distention. Results In the alkaxlized lidocaine group, 6 of the 10 distentions were aborted after less than 5 minutes at only 40 cm H(2)O. In the EMDA group, 7 of 11 of the distentions were completed using 60 cm H(2)O for 7 minutes. EMDA afforded a more effective distention as manifest by a greater percent increase in distention capacity over cystometric capacity compared to alkalized lidocaine (135% vs. 70%). Despite the lower pressure used in the alkalized lidocaine group, the median distention time was only 3 minutes compared to 7 minutes using EMDA. Conclusions These results represent the first study of the efficacy of EMDA as local anesthesia for bladder distention compared to another method of anesthesia. Lidocaine EMDA is superior to alkalized lidocaine in that it allows for a greater distention of the bladder for a longer period of time but does not eliminate the pain of bladder distention.
Effect of Solvent on Controllability in Extractive Distillation

There have been numerous books and papers dealing with the effect of solvent selection on the steady-state design of extractive distillation systems. Extractive distillation is widely used to separate homogeneous binary azeotropes by adding a higher-boiling solvent that attracts one of the components. These systems typically feature an extractive column and a solvent-recovery column. The two products are removed in the distillate streams from the two columns. The solvent is circulated from the base of the solvent recovery back to near the top of the extractive column. A recent paper by Kossack et al. (Chem. Eng. Res. Dev., in press) discusses in detail the steady-state economic design issues and presents several examples that use a variety of solvents for the separation of acetone and methanol. Some solvents drive the acetone overhead in the extractive column, while others drive the methanol overhead in the extractive column.This paper extends this work to compare the dynamic performance of the acetone/me...
Air radiation revisited

The experimental data for air radiation from ground-based experiments and from the Fire II and Apollo 4 flights have been reviewed and compared with a single prediction method. The ground-based data agree generally with the trends predicted by the present calculations, but differences of a factor of two are noted. The flight data from Fire II and Apollo 4 are in good agreement with the present calculations with differences of less than 50 percent.
Shoulder arthroscopy: A modified approach

This paper proposes a modification of the classical position for shoulder arthroscopy. Two changes are proposed to improve visualization, accentuate pathology, and give better access to the inferior one half to one third of the shoulder joint. The direct lateral position is changed to a semilateral position in which the patient is allowed to rotate 30 to 40 degrees posteriorly, thus putting the shoulder joint on a horizontal plane. This allows for more comfortable arthroscopy and instrumentation. Also, if capsulorrhaphy is desired, better penetration of the scapula is possible since the scapula is vertical; thus, the angle of the approaching staple is less severe. The second change is to apply traction in a plane perpendicular to the long axis of the humerus rather than parallel to it. This modification elevates the humerus out of the glenoid rather than distracts the humerus into a subluxed position. The result accentuates labral pathology and gives a significantly improved view of the inferior one half to one third of the glenoid capsule. This new plane of traction allows excellent visualization with very little traction; thus, the problem of traction neuropraxia has been eliminated.
Protective cytotoxic T-cell responses induced by venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicons expressing Ebola virus proteins.

Infection with Ebola virus causes a severe disease accompanied by high mortality rates, and there are no licensed vaccines or therapies available for human use. Filovirus vaccine research efforts still need to determine the roles of humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in protection from Ebola virus infection. Previous studies indicated that exposure to Ebola virus proteins expressed from packaged Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicons elicited protective immunity in mice and that antibody-mediated protection could only be demonstrated after vaccination against the glycoprotein. In this study, the murine CD8 + T-cell responses to six Ebola virus proteins were examined. CD8 + T cells specific for Ebola virus glycoprotein, nucleoprotein, and viral proteins (VP24, VP30, VP35, and VP40) were identified by intracellular cytokine assays using splenocytes from vaccinated mice. The cells were expanded by restimulation with peptides and demonstrated cytolytic activity. Adoptive transfer of the CD8 + cytotoxic T cells protected filovirus naive mice from challenge with Ebola virus. These data support a role for CD8 + cytotoxic T cells as part of a protective mechanism induced by vaccination against six Ebola virus proteins and provide additional evidence that cytotoxic T-cell responses can contribute to protection from filovirus infections.
BASIS REDUCTION METHODS

We review lattice based methods to solve integer programming feasibility problems, in particular, the algorithms of Lenstra, and Kannan, and the reformulation methods of Aardal, et al. and of Krishnamoorthy and Pataki. The unifying theme in all of them is transforming the problem where P is a polyhedron, into where the columns of B are short, and near orthogonal, that is, they form a reduced basis of the generated lattice, and the choice of B and the polyhedron Q is specific to each method. We give simple proofs of the polynomial running time of Lenstra's and Kannan's algorithms under the assumption that the dimension is fixed. We analyze the reformulation methods on knapsack problems with decomposable structure, and more surprisingly, we prove that they solve bounded integer programs with high probability by enumerating only one subproblem. We include several exercises as well, and we believe that the survey will be suitable to teach a 2–3 class long segment on lattice based methods in a course on Integer Programming. Keywords: reduced bases; Lenstra's algorithm; Kannan's algorithm; lattice-based reformulation methods
Research note: An economic model of deer hunting

An economic model of deer hunting is presented with potential for explanation of hunter behavior and valuation of hunting experiences. Depletion, congestion, hunter skills and knowledge, game populations, success, and a number of other factors can all be discussed within the framework of the model. There are three key features of the approach: (1) Benefits from the hunting experience are separated from those attributable to the kill itself. (2) Benefits are derived from the individual hunter's standpoint and then aggregated to obtain values for wildlife areas. (3) A stochastic hunting model is used, treating hunting as a gamble. The model has several interesting serendipities, raises a number of research questions, and provides a framework for organizing and directing research efforts related to hunter behavior, hunting quality, and hunting values.
Qualities of care managers in chronic disease management: patients and providers' expectations.

Abstract Background The collaborative care model has been shown in studies to be effective in achieving sustained treatment outcomes in chronic disease management. Its success is highly dependent on active patient engagement, provider endorsement and effective care management. This study sought to ask patients and providers what qualities they look for in a care manager. Method A questionnaire with 3 open ended questions was mailed out randomly to 1000 patients residing in Olmsted County, MN identified through the registry to have type 2 diabetes mellitus. Forty-two primary care providers received similar questionnaire with 2 open ended questions. Answers were qualitatively analyzed using coding and identification of major themes. Result One hundred seventy-five patients and 22 providers responded. Both groups listed being knowledgeable, having good communication skills and certain personality traits as common themes on what are desirable qualities in a care manager. Patients felt that a care manager would be most helpful by being accessible. Providers listed undesirable qualities to include not being a team player and not knowing practice limitations. Conclusion Both patients and providers have clear expectations of a care manager which carry significant implications in recruiting and training care managers for chronic disease management.
Comparison of context-based interaction patterns of mothers who are homeless with their preschool children.

Purpose The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the influence of context on interaction patterns used by mothers who are homeless with their preschool children during book-read...
Sub-band adaptive IIR noise cancellation

A subband adaptive infinite impulse response (IIR) noise cancellation scheme whose structure enables the cancellation of multiple sinusoidal interferences in a received speech signal is presented. Compared with the classical least mean square adaptive noise cancellation method, this new structure has two major differences. First, the quadrature mirror filter technique is used to decompose signals into subbands. Second, a new constrained adaptive IIR notch filter and adaptive IIR bandpass filter are developed to form an adaptive IIR noise canceller and used to remove the multiple-frequency, or harmonic, noise from a received speech signal. Computer simulations were done using a set of actual speech signals corrupted by car engine noise. Experiments demonstrate that more than 20-dB signal-to-noise ratio improvements can be achieved. >
Compositional diversity in insoluble organic matter in type 1, 2 and 3 chondrites as detected by infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Insoluble organic matter (IOM) isolated from 22 carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites spanning a wide range of groups and petrologic types were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Based on common IR spectral features, it is observed that IOM falls into 4 molecularly distinct groups (designated here as A through D). Spectral group A includes type 1 and 2 chondrites and exhibits intense aliphatic C–H and carboxyl vibrational peaks. Spectral group B includes the least metamorphosed type 3 chondrites and Tagish Lake, and exhibits weaker aliphatic and carboxyl vibrational intensity. Spectral groups C and D include metamorphosed type ⩾3.1 chondrites and a heated CM chondrite. The carbonyl stretching features in spectral groups C and D differ from that in spectral groups A and B and from each other. In spectral group C, the carbonyl stretching is assigned to cyclic unsaturated lactones; in spectral group D carbonyl exists predominantly in the form of unsaturated ketone moieties. Both spectral groups C and D have a relatively narrow band structure around 1210 cm−1 (assigned to aromatic skeletal modes) as compared with spectral groups A and B, which is consistent with the formation of more condensed aromatics by extensive thermal metamorphism. The differences in carbonyl structures in spectral groups C and D are not the result of different effective metamorphic temperatures, rather these differences likely result from variation in the activity of water and oxygen at different stages of parent body metamorphism. Such environmental variations must be local phenomena in the parent bodies as there is no correlation between spectral grouping and chondrite class or group.
Jim Gray at Berkeley

Jim Gray spent a decade as a student and researcher at Berkeley. In action, he is remembered for his breadth, his depth, and his generosity.
You can’t walk or bike yourself out of the health effects of poverty: active school transport, child obesity, and blind spots in the public health literature

Mainstream public health theories of obesity attribute current, unprecedented numbers of obese youth to changes in eating practices and levels of physical activity, in turn leading to greater energy consumption and lesser energy expenditure. While substantial research has examined energy consumption among school-age children, key modes of energy expenditure such as active school transport (AST) remain underexplored. Using AST data obtained from the California Safe Routes to Schools program and child health data from the California Physical Fitness Test, we examined the association between AST and child obesity among school-age children and disambiguated this relationship introducing the variable poverty. We found that greater AST correlated with higher rates of child obesity and higher rates of child poverty, which in turn correlated with worse child health and obesity rates. Our findings suggest that child poverty explains the positive relationship between AST and child obesity that has puzzled investiga...
Gq-Coupled Receptor Agonists Mediate Cardiac Hypertrophy Via the Vasculature

The Gq-coupled receptor-signaling pathway has been implicated in the cardiac hypertrophic response to stress, but little is actually known about the contributions of Gq signaling in either the heart or the vasculature. Therefore, we developed a line of transgenic mice that express a peptide inhibitor of Gq (GqI) in vascular smooth muscle to determine if vascular Gq signaling was important in the cardiac hypertrophic response. After chronic administration of the Gq agonists phenylephrine, serotonin, and angiotensin II, we observed an attenuation of mean arterial blood pressure and an inhibition of cardiac hypertrophy in the transgenic mice with vascular-specific GqI expression. In contrast, cardiac GqI peptide expression did not attenuate the hypertension or the cardiac hypertrophy. Importantly, all mice were capable of cardiac hypertrophy, because direct β-adrenergic receptor stimulation induced a similar level of hypertrophy in both lines of transgenic mice. This clearly suggests that after chronic Gq-coupled receptor agonist administration, it is the hypertensive state induced by vascular Gq activation that mediates remodeling of the heart, rather than direct stimulation of cardiac Gq-coupled receptors. Thus, the contribution of vascular Gq-coupled signaling to the development of cardiac hypertrophy is significant and suggests that expression of the GqI peptide is a novel therapeutic strategy to lower Gq-mediated hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy.
Not All Related Party Transactions (RPTs) are the Same: Ex-Ante vs. Ex-Post RPTs

Related party transactions (RPTs) are potential means for insiders to expropriate outside shareholders via self-dealing. There are, however, possible benefits to these arrangements for outside shareholders. We find that the overall volume of disclosed RPTs is generally not significantly associated with shareholder wealth as measured by operating profitability or Tobin’s Q. However, the results for total RPT volume obscure that ex-ante RPTs, transactions that pre-date a counterparty becoming a related party, are innocuous at worst in terms of their association with operating profitability and significantly positively associated with Tobin’s Q whereas ex-post RPTs, transactions initiated after a counterparty becomes a related party, are significantly negatively associated with operating profitability. Ex-post RPTs also result in significant share price declines when first disclosed and are associated with an increased likelihood that a firm will enter financial distress or deregister its securities. These results are consistent with ex-post RPTs serving as means for insiders to expropriate outside shareholders.