cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Membrane guanylate cyclase, a multimodal transduction machine: history, present, and future directions.

A sequel to these authors’ earlier comprehensive reviews which covered the field of mammalian membrane guanylate cyclase (MGC) from its origin to the year 2010, this article contains 13 parts. The first is HISTORICAL and covers MGC from the year 1963-1987, summarizing its colorful developmental stages from its passionate pursuit to its consolidation. The second deals with the establishment of its BIOCHEMICAL IDENTITY. MGC becomes the transducer of a hormonal signal and founder of the peptide hormone receptor family, and creates the notion that hormone signal transduction is its sole physiological function. The third defines its EXPANSION. The discovery of ROS-GC subfamily is made and it links ROS-GC with the physiology of PHOTOTRANSDUCTION. Parts 4 to 7 cover its BIOCHEMISTRY and PHYSIOLOGY. The noteworthy events are that augmented by GCAPs, ROS-GC proves to be a transducer of the free Ca2+ signals generated within neurons; ROS-GC becomes a two-component transduction system and establishes itself as a source of cyclic GMP, the second messenger of phototransduction. Part 8 demonstrates how this knowledge begins to be TRANSLATED into the diagnosis and providing the molecular definition of retinal dystrophies. Part 9 discusses a striking property of ROS-GC where it becomes a “[Ca2+]i bimodal switch” and transcends its signaling role in other neural transduction processes. In this course, discovery of the first CD-GCAP (Ca2+-dependent guanylate cycles activator), the S100B protein, is made. It extends the role of ROS-GC transduction system beyond the photoreceptor cells to the signaling processes in the synapse region between photoreceptor and cone ON-bipolar cells; in Part 10, discovery of ANOTHER CD-GCAP, NC, is made and its linkage with signaling of the inner plexiform layer neurons is established. Part 11 discusses linkage of the ROS-GC transduction system with other sensory transduction processes: Pineal gland, Olfaction and Gustation. In the next, part 12, a theo
3D Sketch-Based 3D Model Retrieval

How to draw 3D sketches in a three-dimensional space and how to use a hand-drawn 3D sketch to search similar 3D models are brand new and challenging research topics. In this paper, we make an initial study on 3D sketching and propose a novel 3D sketch-based 3D model retrieval system. Our system allows users to freely draw 3D sketches in the air as well as to find similar 3D models given human-drawn 3D sketches. Promising retrieval performance has been achieved in experiments based on 300 collected 3D sketches and a recent large scale sketch-based 3D shape retrieval benchmark.
Some comments on extraction analysis of cations complexed with a crown ether

A brief review is given on the use of crown ethers in solubilizing salts of alkali and alkaline earth ions in organic polar or apolar solvents. Use of crown ethers can also be made in testinge.g. lithium salts for potassium by extraction as LKpicrate, L being 18-crown-6.
Closed form solution of similarity algorithms

Algorithms defining similarities between objects of an information network are important of many IR tasks. SimRank algorithm and its variations are popularly used in many applications. Many fast algorithms are also developed. In this note, we first reformulate them as random walks on the network and express them using forward and backward transition probably in a matrix form. Second, we show that P-Rank (SimRank is only the special case of P-Rank) has a unique solution of eeT when decay factor c is equal to 1. We also show that SimFusion algorithm is a special case of P-Rank algorithm and prove that the similarity matrix of SimFusion is the product of PageRank vector. Our experiments on the web datasets show that for P-Rank the decay factor c doesn't seriously affect the similarity accuracy and accuracy of P-Rank is also higher than SimFusion and SimRank.
A Database Approach to Communication in VLSI Design

This paper describes recent and planned work at Stanford University in applying database technology to the problems of VLSI design. In particular, it addresses the issue of communication within a design's different representations and hierarchical levels in a multiple designer environment. We demonstrate the heretofore questioned utility of using commercial database systems, at least while developing a versatile, flexible, and generally efficient model and its associated communication paths. Completed work and results from initial work using DEC DBMS-20 is presented, including macroexpansion within the database, and signaling of changes to higher structural levels. Considerable discussion regarding overall philosophy for continued work is also included.
Abstruse comparisons: The problems of numerical contrasts of two groups

Abstract The most common quantitative comparison in medical literature is a contrast of two numbers, such as two means or two rates. The two numbers, A and B, can be compared as a direct increment (A−B), ratio (A/B), relative change ([A−B]/B), or other index of contrast. To appreciate the quantitative distinction, a reader must know the “setting” reflected by the basic values of A and B. For example, a ratio of 2.0 does not distinguish comparisons between rates of 60% versus 30% and 0.006% versus 0.003%. Despite the frequency of published comparisons, they can be expressed with two types of abstrusity: quantitatives, if the basic values for A and B are not readily evident; and qualitative, if the component underlying variables are unfamiliar and not suitably explained. Among the published articles during the first six months of 1995 for JAMA and New England Journal of Medicine, 57 that satisfied inclusion criteria were reviewed for compliance with standards for avoiding the two types of abstrusity. The standards for quantitative abstrusity were applied to the published abstract-summary, because it is often the only “sound bite” that is read and remembered by most readers. The standards for qualitative abstrusity, however, could be fulfilled in the text, not just in the abstract-summaries of each article. Among the 57 abstract-summaries, 30% were abstruse quantitatively, and 11 (48%) of 23 pertinent papers were qualitatively abstruse. Abstrusity can be eliminated if authors and editors insist that quantitative contrasts cite the basic numbers being compared and the meaning of the associated variables and their rating scales.
Near doping-independent pocket area from an antinodal Fermi surface instability in underdoped high temperature superconductors.

Fermi surface models applied to the underdoped cuprates predict the small pocket area to be strongly dependent on doping whereas quantum oscillations in ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{6+x}$ find precisely the opposite to be true---seemingly at odds with the Luttinger volume. We show that such behavior can be explained by an incommensurate antinodal Fermi surface nesting-type instability---further explaining the doping-dependent superstructures seen in cuprates using scanning tunneling microscopy. We develop a Fermi surface reconstruction scheme involving orthogonal density waves in two dimensions and show that their incommensurate behavior requires momentum-dependent coupling. A cooperative modulation of the charge and bond strength is therefore suggested.
Incubation and Photoablation of Poly(methyl methacrylate) at 248 nm. New Insight into the Reaction Mechanism Using Photofragment Translational Spectroscopy

The decomposition of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) under the action of 248 nm, 16 ns laser pulses at 250 mJ/cm2 was studied in vacuum. A sensitive electron impact ionizer/quadrupole mass spectrometer system was used to measure mass spectra and time-of-flight (TOF) distributions of the neutral photoproducts. The incubation and photoablation reactions were unambiguously resolved in the TOF distributions. The incubation reaction produces slow-moving species with mass peaks at m/e = 15, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 59, and 60 which can be assigned to methanol, CO, and methyl formate. These products are consistent with the incubation mechanism proposed by Stuke and co-workers, namely, single-photon absorption at the carbonyl side-chain chromophore followed by side-chain scission. The incubation reaction produces a partially unsaturated and more strongly UV-absorbing polymer backbone. The ablation of this degraded material at 250 mJ/cm2 produces mainly species with molecular weights < 150 and translational energies a...
A Combined Vertical and Horizontal Pelvic Osteotomy Approach for Primary and Secondary Repair of Bladder Exstrophy

AbstractPurpose: We describe a new combined horizontal and vertical pelvic osteotomy procedure for bladder exstrophy.Materials and Methods: A total of 36 patients with the bladder exstrophy complex underwent this procedure during a 3-year period (8 primary and 18 secondary bladder closures, and 6 at bladder neck reconstruction).Results: There were no instances of dehiscence and only a minor bladder prolapse in 1 patient with cloacal exstrophy. Two patients had a transient femoral nerve palsy and there was 1 superficial pin infection. Urological complications included symptomatic urinary tract infections in 5 patients, acute epididymitis in 1 and bladder calculi in 2.Conclusions: This new osteotomy procedure is of great benefit in initial or repeat closure of bladder exstrophy and may help in eventually achieving continence.
Oscillations and movements of mimosa leaves due to electric shock

Abstract A non‐destructive radio‐frequency Q‐Meter measurement system has been applied for measuring the effects of electrical stimuli from 50 to 150 Volts d.c. to leaves of Mimosa spp. These stimuli produced rapid petiolar angular velocities of an average of 0.3 rad/sec. and a linear velocity of signal conduction in the petiole of 20 mm/sec and from the primary pulvinus to the middle of a pinna of 41 mm/sec. The expanded rotational energy of a primary petiole corresponded to 2 × 10‐13 moles of ATP, which is much less than reported rates of dephosphorylation. However, the input of chemical equivalents of 1.1 × 10‐10 Faradays is in good agreement. Rapid oscillations of pinnules have been observed with remarkably constant periods of time in the range from 10 to 16 seconds. Evidence is given for considering them as minute leaf electroscopes, which are periodically charged and discharged by the dissipation of the charge from the electrical shock stimulus. This charge was shown to drain off from the primary pu...
Computing returns to scale under alternative models

Abstract This paper provides a comparison of returns to scale when computed with a non-parametric (linear programming) and a parametric (linear programming) method. The two models are applied to a data set for the Japanese agricultural sector and the comparison shows that scale characteristics obtained are method-independent.
Tetragonal Crystal-Field Energy Levels—CaF 2 :Sm 3+ and CdF 2 :Sm 3+ *

Theoretical energy-level schemes are derived to first order of perturbation theory and compared with those empirically derived for both a crystal of CaF2:Sm3+ and one of CdF2:Sm3+ in a crystal field of tetragonal symmetry. The resulting deviation of the energies between the theoretical and empirical schemes is within 40 cm−1 for ten of the twelve crystal-field energy levels of the ground 6H multiplet states terminating the observed fluorescence lines. The theoretical schemes are derived for a unique set of values for the five crystal-field parameters of the tetragonal field. This is substantial additional support for an assignment of tetragonal symmetry for both of these crystals. Tables are given of the resulting approximate values of the crystal-field parameters, level energies, and level eigenfunctions.
SOMATIC MUTATION (SM) OF HUMAN IMMUNOGLOBULIN (Ig) HEAVY CHAIN VARIABLE (V) REGION GENES TARGETS COMPLEMENTARITY DETERMINING REGIONS (CDR) IN THE ABSENCE OF ANTIGEN (Ag) SELECTION. • 74

Through the process of SM, point mutations are introduced into rearranged(rearr) Ig V region genes leading to alteration of the amino acid sequence and production and selection of antibodies (Ab) of increased affinity for Ag. This process is important in the generation of protective Ab and selective autoAb in man. Little is known of the mechanism of SM. We have observed bias in the targeting and selection of mutations in human V genes. That study was hindered by the potential bias introduced by Ag selection of mutated V genes. To study SM in the absence of Ag selection, we have characterized SM of human nonproductive rearr. We sought to enrich for nonproductive human VH6 gene rearr by subtractive hybridization with VH6 CDR3 segments amplified from human spleen cDNA, representing productive VH6 rearr, as the driver, and amplified spleen genomic DNA VH6 rearr, representing both productive and nonproductive rearr, as the tracer. Driver was photobiotinylated and hybridized at a 10:1 molar excess to tracer. Hybridization products were removed with streptavidin coated magnetic beads and the remaining tracer was cloned and sequenced. 7/24(29%) of VH6 clones were nonproductive on the basis of a frameshift or stop codon in CDR3. The mutation rate of nonproductive rearr was 2.9%, which was similar to that of productive rearr. However, each nonproductive rearr yielded 3-fold more informative SM than productive rearr. There was targeting of mutations to CDRs. Biased SM of individual germline nucleotides was not significantly different than expected, though there was a trend toward mutations of adenine. SM appears to be targeted to the CDRs of some human V genes independent of Ag selection, which may be a result of evolutionary pressures.
The relationship between oxygen delivery and consumption during fluid resuscitation of hypovolemic and septic shock.

The effects of increasing oxygen delivery ( D ˙ O 2 ) on oxygen consumption ( V ˙ O 2 ) in eight patients with septic shock and five patients with hypovolemic shock were studied during fluid resuscitation. In the septic shock group, D ˙ O 2 increased from 315 ± 29 to 424 ± 25 ml/min/m 2 (p V ˙ O 2 increased from 134 ± 8 to 151 ± 7 ml/min/m 2 (p D ˙ O 2 increased from 239 ± 26 to 386 ± 48 ml/min/m 2 (p V ˙ O 2 increased from 96 ± 9 to 135 ± 6 ml/min/m* (p D ˙ O 2 or V ˙ O 2 between the septic shock and hypovolemic shock patients. We conclude that increasing D ˙ O 2 by fluid resuscitation increases V ˙ O 2 during both hypovolemic and septic shock.
EFFECTS OF PUROMYCIN, ACETOXYCYCLOHEXIMIDE AND ACTINOMYCIN D ON PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN GOLDFISH BRAIN *

EXPERIMENTS in our laboratory have demonstrated that memory fixation of a shockavoidance task in the goldfish can be blocked by puromycin or acetoxycycloheximide (AXM)$ when administered within 1 hr after training, but not at later times (AGRANOFF and KLINGER, 1964; DAVIS, BRIGHT and AGRANOFF, 1965; AGRANOFF, DAVIS and BRINK, 1965, 1966). The present studies report the effects of these compounds as well as actinomycin D on the incorporation of [3H]leucine into goldfish brain protein.
Automated segmentation of neural recordings for optimal on-line recognition of neural waveforms

We present an iterative algorithm for separating the segments containing exclusively neural noise in extracellular recordings without prior knowledge of neural spike locations or waveforms. This allows on-line design of a whitening filter and on-line determination of thresholds for detection and classification of neural spikes without human supervision. This algorithm can also be used as a first data reduction phase for the detection task.
Open trial of cognitive behavior therapy for childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract Examined the utility of CBT for childhood obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) including a preliminary exploration of predictors of response to this form of treatment. A total of 42 youngsters (mean age 11.8 years, 60% female, 52% on medication at baseline) with DSM-IV OCD were treated openly using a developmentally sensitive treatment protocol based on exposure plus response prevention (ERP). The treatment response rate (CGI
Colonic involvement in salmonellosis.

Two cases ofSalmonella colitis are described. Clinical and radiological differentiation from ulcerative colitis is difficult and necessitates repeated stool cultures. The management ofSalmonella colitis is reviewed.
Developmental changes in memorization processes

Developmental changes in two broad classes of memory-related phenomena were studied, using nursery school, kindergarten, second grade, and fourth grade children as Ss: (1) the production and strategic deployment over time of various types of memorization activities; (2) S's knowledge concerning his own memory. With regard to (1), only the older Ss in this study tended to show a specific, fairly complex memorization strategy when given unlimited time to study a set of items to the point of perfect serial recall. The strategy appeared to consist of first naming the items to oneself to initiate the learning process, and of subsequently using systematic anticipation and rehearsal procedures to monitor and maintain one's gradually increasing state of recall readiness. As for (2), the older Ss were likewise better able than the younger ones, both to predict their own memory span in advance of any concrete memorization experience, and to assess their readiness to recall after such experience. It was concluded that the two phenomena are intimately interrelated in the older child's memorization activities, and that the nature and development of S's knowledge and awareness of his own memory system is a particularly important and timely research problem.
Giant circular dichroism of a molecule in a region of strong plasmon resonances between two neighboring gold nanocrystals

We report on giant circular dichroism (CD) of a molecule inserted into a plasmonic hot spot. Naturally occurring molecules and biomolecules typically have CD signals in the UV range, whereas plasmonic nanocrystals exhibit strong plasmon resonances in the visible spectral interval. Therefore, excitations of chiral molecules and plasmon resonances are typically off-resonant. Nevertheless, we demonstrate theoretically that it is possible to create strongly enhanced molecular CD utilizing the plasmons. This task is doubly challenging since it requires both creation and enhancement of the molecular CD in the visible region. We demonstrate this effect within the model which incorporates a chiral molecule and a plasmonic dimer. The associated mechanism of plasmonic CD comes from the Coulomb interaction, which is greatly amplified in a plasmonic hot spot. An important feature of the system is anisotropy that results in giant enhancement for the molecular dipoles parallel to the dimer axis. The proposed effect offers very interesting possibilities for enhanced sensing of chiral molecules using visible light.
An ab initio quantum chemical study of hydrogen abstraction from methane by methyl

Abstract Ab initio MO calculations with a double-zeta basis plus polarization functions and truncated Cl (all singles and doubles) have been used to study hydrogen abstraction from methane by methyl. The optimum transition state geometry and an adiabatic barrier which is in agreement with the experimental activation energy have been determined.
Patterns of maternal behavior among neglectful families: implications for research and intervention

Abstract Objective: The heterogeneity within neglecting caregivers has not been explored in an empirical fashion. The current study sought to address this limitation by utilizing archival data in order to explore variability of maternal behavior among neglectful families. Method: The current study utilized archival data containing caseworker and self-report information on 100 mothers for whom neglect had been substantiated and was the primary referral concern. Cluster analysis was used to describe patterns of maternal behavior. Subsequent analysis was used to determine differences between the clusters on degree of neglect, maternal depression, perceived social support, and other demographic characteristics (income, education). Results: Five distinct patterns of maternal behavior emerged, each with different ratings of maternal confidence, relatedness, impulse control, and willingness to engage in verbal interactions. The clusters differed on ratings of neglect, life stressors, resource problems and adult problems. The clusters were similar in terms of maternal education, number of children in the home, and monthly income. Additionally, women in all clusters reported similar levels of depression, similar number of children, and a comparable amount of social support. Conclusions: The five clusters are described and implications for intervention approaches are discussed.
A novel nonradioactive method to evaluate vascular barrier breakdown and leakage.

PURPOSE To identify a novel, sensitive, nonradioactive leakage assay that can be used in the assessment of retinal vascular permeability in rats and mice. METHODS Breakdown of the vascular barrier was induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or diabetes. Biotinylated bovine serum albumin (bBSA) was administered as a tracer. After perfusion with lactated Ringer's solution, extravasated bBSA was detected with immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis or sandwich ELISA. The results were then normalized against the final bBSA plasma concentration, the circulation time, and the protein concentration of the tissue. RESULTS Six hours after VEGF injection, BRB breakdown was quantified in the injected eye and was 2.5-fold higher than in the contralateral phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-injected eye (n = 6 rats, P < 0.01). Intravitreal LPS injection induced severe inflammation in the directly injected eye and moderate inflammation in the contralateral untreated eye. Leakage was six- and threefold higher, respectively, compared with that in the untreated control animals (n = 5 rats, P < 0.01). Nine-month diabetic rats had a threefold increase in vascular leakage compared with age-matched control animals (n = 6 retinas, P < 0.05). Twenty-four hours after intraperitoneal administration of LPS in mice, the animals showed increased vascular leakage in all tissue organs examined (retina, 1.7-fold; brain, 1.5-fold; and kidney, 1.3-fold). CONCLUSIONS bBSA can serve as an effective alternative to the current methods used for quantitating vascular leakage and especially the blood-retinal barrier breakdown. It is reasonably easy to perform, low in cost, and adaptable to experiments in mice.
Crossed grid anode and its image partitioning.

Measurements on an imaging crossed grid anode following a pair of microchannel plates indicate fast charge propogation via wire‐to‐wire capacitances, suggesting a temporal resolution of 100 ns. A figure of merit for partitioned systems has been suggested that provides an estimate of the position uncertainty of photoelectrons in the image plane of an anode. Solutions for two‐, three‐, and four‐amplifier position algorithms are given, and basic system requirements are discussed.
Impact initiation of explosives and propellants via statistical crack mechanics

Abstract A statistical approach has been developed for modeling the dynamic response of brittle materials by superimposing the effects of a myriad of microcracks, including opening, shear, growth and coalescence, taking as a starting point the well-established theory of penny-shaped cracks. This paper discusses the general approach, but in particular an application to the sensitivity of explosives and propellants, which often contain brittle constituents. We examine the hypothesis that the intense heating by frictional sliding between the faces of a closed crack during unstable growth can form a hot spot, causing localized melting, ignition, and fast burn of the reactive material adjacent to the crack. Opening and growth of a closed crack due to the pressure of burned gases inside the crack and interactions of adjacent cracks can lead to violent reaction, with detonation as a possible consequence. This approach was used to model a multiple-shock experiment by Mulford et al. [1993. Initiation of preshocked high explosives PBX-9404, PBX-9502, PBX-9501, monitored with in-material magnetic gauging. In: Proceedings of the 10th International Detonation Symposium, pp. 459–467] involving initiation and subsequent quenching of chemical reactions in a slab of PBX 9501 impacted by a two-material flyer plate. We examine the effects of crack orientation and temperature dependence of viscosity of the melt on the response. Numerical results confirm our theoretical finding [Zuo, Q.H., Dienes, J.K., 2005. On the stability of penny-shaped cracks with friction: the five types of brittle behavior. Int. J. Solids Struct. 42, 1309–1326] that crack orientation has a significant effect on brittle behavior, especially under compressive loading where interfacial friction plays an important role. With a reasonable choice of crack orientation and a temperature-dependent viscosity obtained from molecular dynamics calculations, the calculated particle velocities compare well with those measured using embedded velocity gauges.
Oxidative stress in liver of brown bullhead and channel catfish following exposure to tert-butyl hydroperoxide

Abstract Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the etiology of liver neoplasia in mammals and fishes. Oxidation of DNA and lipid peroxidation may be important early markers of such damage in certain species and tissues. In this study, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was measured in channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) and brown bullhead ( Ameriurus nebulosus ) liver after glutathione (GSH) depletion (with diethyl maleate/buthionine sulfoximine injection) and exposure to the exogenous oxidant, tert -butyl hydroperoxide ( t -BOOH). GSH depletion alone resulted in a significant increase in lipid peroxidation in hepatic tissue of brown bullhead, but not in channel catfish. GSH depletion alone did not result in a significant increase in 8-OHdG formation as assessed by high performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection in either species. Treatment with t -BOOH alone or in combination with GSH depletion did not affect levels of DNA oxidation in either species. These results suggest that liver cells from these species of fish are relatively insensitive to the formation of oxidative DNA damage following exposure to a severe oxidative stress, and that lipid peroxidation may be a more appropriate early marker of oxidative stress in liver of these species.
Gatekeepers of the American Dream: how teachers' perceptions shape the academic outcomes of immigrant and language-minority students.

Abstract High school teachers evaluate and offer guidance to students as they approach the transition to college based in part on their perceptions of the student's hard work and potential to succeed in college. Their perceptions may be especially crucial for immigrant and language-minority students navigating the U.S. educational system. Using the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), we consider how the intersection of nativity and language-minority status may (1) inform teachers’ perceptions of students’ effort and college potential, and (2) shape the link between teachers’ perceptions and students’ academic progress towards college (grades and likelihood of advancing to more demanding math courses). We find that teachers perceive immigrant language-minority students as hard workers, and that their grades reflect that perception. However, these same students are less likely than others to advance in math between the sophomore and junior years, a critical point for preparing for college. Language-minority students born in the U.S. are more likely to be negatively perceived. Yet, when their teachers see them as hard workers, they advance in math at the same rates as nonimmigrant native English speaking peers. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering both language-minority and immigrant status as social dimensions of students’ background that moderate the way that high school teachers’ perceptions shape students’ preparation for college.
Acculturation, optimism, and relatively fewer depression symptoms among Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans.

Summary The mental health of individuals of Mexican origin may vary as a function of native status (i.e., Mexican born or USA born). Some have reported that Mexican Americans tend to display more depressive symptoms than Mexican immigrants. The present goal was to estimate the associations among acculturation and native status, and explore relative deprivation in the prevalence of depression. Participants included 153 individuals of Mexican origin who completed the Acculturation Riting Scale for Mexican Americans, the Beck Depression Inventory-II. the Revised Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale, and relative deprivation questions. Analyses indicated women and those scoring low on acculturation were significantly more likely to report depressive symptoms. Participants who felt they had relatively better family happiness than Euro-Americans reported lower depressive symptoms. So participants' sex, acculturation, and relative lack of depressive symptoms allow better understanding of depressive symptoms ...
On eigenvalue pinching in positive curvature

Since volM ≤ volSn this does not affect the arguments below. The other more serious mistake is that the set Aδ need not be connected so we cannot assume that det (dΦ) has constant sign on this set. This means that the proof of Lemma 6.2 is incomplete as it stands. The author does not see a way of correcting this particular error nor does he know of an alternate proof which is simpler than what is already in the literature. The author would like to mention that Cheeger has written an article [1], which contains a complete and streamlined account on convergence of manifolds with Ricci curvature bounds. Note that this does not affect Theorem 1.1 of [2]. This result is proven in Sects. 3, 4, 5 and does not depend on Sect. 6.
Comparing Reading Instruction in Hispanic/Limited-English-Proficient Schools and Other Inner-City Schools

Abstract Hispanic/LEP students are the largest growing minority group. In addition, they have the lowest educational level and the highest dropout rates of any other ethnic group in the U. S. Furthermore, there is also evidence that disadvantaged or lower-achieving students generally attend schools that serve them less well than schools that serve more advantaged students. The present study examined classroom processes taking place during reading instruction in two settings: (a) schools with a large Hispanic limited-English-proficient (LEP) student population and (b) inner-city schools where the student population was much more ethnically diverse. The results of the present study indicated that the type of reading instruction that is taking place in both types of schools in very passive. For examples, students are not given much opportunity to interact with one another or with the teacher. Nonetheless, this situation was observed more often in schools where there was a large number of Hispanic and LEP stu...
Impact of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) on quality parameters of milled rice

Abstract The impact of Rhyzopertha dominica , the lesser grain borer, on milling quality of Francis and Wells cultivars of rough rice was assessed for the 2007 and 2008 crop years by infesting 200-g rough rice samples harvested at moderate and low moisture contents with 0, 10, 25, 50, and 100 parental adult insects, which were removed after one week. The samples were incubated for seven weeks at either 27 or 32 °C and 60% relative humidity to determine progeny production and feeding damage (insect frass), and subsequently the milled rice yield (MRY) and head rice yield (HRY). Progeny production from each parental density level varied with variety and temperature. The number of progeny produced by the parental adults was positively correlated with feeding damage, and the feeding damage caused by the progeny was in turn negatively correlated with MRY and HRY. For both years, more progeny production and feeding damage occurred in Francis versus Wells for each of the harvest moisture contents. Results show differential susceptibility of Francis and Wells cultivars to R. dominica , and also provide new methodologies for evaluating effects of infestation on rice milling quality.
Organized Labor and the Invention of Modern Liberalism in the United States

There is perhaps no political topic that has been given such relentlessly comparative treatment as the American labor movement. It is rare to read any comprehensive political or historical study of organized labor that is not cast, implicitly or explicitly, against the greater class consciousness of European counterparts. The explanations advanced for the uniqueness or the lack of vigor in the American strain—abundance of land, immigration, early suffrage, a revolutionary heritage of “republicanism”—constitute most of what exists in the way of theories about American labor politics.
The Multipotential Cell and the Tumor Problem

One of the most firmly held beliefs in the field of oncology is that once a cell has been converted into a true tumor cell the resulting heritable change is of a permanent and irreversible type. This concept of irreversibility has for about a century now so completely dominated the thinking of cancer biologists that until quite recently few attempts were made to determine whether it might, in fact, be possible to cause a true tumor cell to revert to a benign or normal state under appropriate experimental conditions. There are now a number of well documented examples ranging from tumors of higher plant species to those of man in which a reversal of the neoplastic state has been achieved experimentally. Several examples of this type will be described and the possible significance of these findings as they relate to the nature of the heritable change will be discussed.
Q&A: What is the Open Connectome Project?

Although it has been over a century since neuroscientists first conjectured that networks of neurons comprise the brain, technology has limited high-throughput investigations of neural circuitry until very recently. In the last couple of decades, several experimental paradigms have arisen that are poised to finally begin studying neuroanatomy in a high-throughput fashion. In 2005, the term connectome was coined independently by Patric Hagmann and Olaf Sporns, to describe the complete set of neural connections in a brain. Interestingly, both usages seemed to be referring to using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to study human brain networks. Shortly thereafter, Narayanan "Bobby" Kasthuri and Jeff Lichtman published an article suggesting that "connectome" should refer to connections between neurons, which one can infer using Electron Microscopy (EM) and fluorescence microscopy (e.g., brainbow animals). "Projectome", they suggested, is more appropriate for MRI based studies. Yet, the word connectome stuck, and now refers to essentially any neuroscientific investigation of the relationship between (collections of) neurons, be they functional or structural.
EFFECTS OF DIVERTING ACTIVITIES ON ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC AMPLITUDE AND MEAN FREQUENCY

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of diverting activities on electromyographic amplitude and mean frequency. On three separate occasions, eleven men and eight women performed two bouts of fifty consecutive maximal concentric isokinetic muscle actions of the dominant leg extensors. Between these bouts, the subjects either solved math problems, performed contralateral dynamic constant external resistance leg extensions, or rested quietly. During each muscle action, electromyographic signals were detected from the vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, and vastus medialis. The results indicated that neither the mental nor the physical diverting activities consistently affected the mean electromyographic amplitude and mean frequency values relative to the control visit of quiet resting. If mental or physical diverting activities affected muscle activation in the vastus lateralis, rectus femoris or vastus medialis, electromyographic amplitude and mean frequency values were not sensitive enough to detect it.
Beneficial effects of continuous overnight catheter drainage in children with polyuric renal failure.

The authors from Miami discuss the problems affecting children with dysfunctional bladder syndrome. If there is progressive renal disease polyuria may overwhelm bladder capacity. They set out to determine whether overnight catheter drainage in such patients might have a beneficial effect. They found that this technique in patients with progressive polyuric renal failure may have the potential to preserve renal function in selected patients. They also state that it should not be seen as a replacement for surgical augmentation of the bladder or intermittent catheterization. OBJECTIVE To determine the possible beneficial effect of providing decompression of the collecting system by continuous overnight catheter drainage (COCD) in children with progressive renal disease and dysfunctional bladder syndrome, commonly associated with polyuria which may overwhelm bladder capacity. PATIENTS AND METHODS COCD was used in seven patients (four boys) with progressive polyuric kidney failure associated with dysfunctional bladders (current age 18.7 years, sd 5; age at COCD 12 years, sd 6). Five children had surgical bladder augmentation and all were prescribed daytime intermittent catheterization (IC) for a mean (sd) of 4.7 (3.4) years before COCD. All had significant polyuria, with a mean (sd) urine output of 2370 (971) mL/m2 per day. RESULTS The mean (sd) glomerular filtration rate at the start of COCD was 48 (21) mL/min/1.73 m2, which is currently stable in the five patients continuing treatment. The mean (sd) duration of COCD was 4.9 (2) years. One patient showed no improvement and had a pre-emptive transplant within 1.2 years; another was transplanted after 5.5 years. Six patients showed evidence of benefit from COCD, with significant attenuation in the slope of renal functional decay (P = 0.02) and a mean (sd) prolongation of the predicted time to end-stage renal disease of 12.2 (5.6) years (P < 0.002). Hospitalization for febrile urinary tract infections was decreased from a mean (sd) of 1.7 (1.4) to 0.4 (0.7) times (P = 0.03) in the first year of COCD and eliminated by the second year (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION COCD of the dysfunctional bladder in patients with progressive polyuric renal failure appears to offer the potential for preserving kidney function in selected patients. It does not replace surgical bladder augmentation or daytime IC in the core management.
Systematic proximity-detecting codes

This paper defines t-proximity-detecting (t-PD) codes that can detect when a received word is within distance t from the transmitted codeword, when using a four-phase asynchronous communication protocol (or other similar protocols). Proximity-detecting codes can be used to improve the performance of asynchronous buses. A nontrivial t-proximity-detecting code must be unordered. However, not all unordered codes are t-proximity-detecting. This paper characterizes t-PD codes, and presents some properties of such codes. Designs of systematic 1-PD codes, and their generalization to t-PD codes are presented, along with a bound on the number of checkbits.
Phylogenetic utility, and variability in structure and content, of complete mitochondrial genomes among genetic lineages of the Hawaiian anchialine shrimp Halocaridina rubra Holthuis 1963 (Atyidae:Decapoda).

AbstractThe Atyidae are caridean shrimp possessing hair-like setae on their claws and are important contributors to ecological services in tropical and temperate fresh and brackish water ecosystems. Complete mitochondrial genomes have only been reported from five of the 449 species in the family, thus limiting understanding of mitochondrial genome evolution and the phylogenetic utility of complete mitochondrial sequences in the Atyidae. Here, comparative analyses of complete mitochondrial genomes from eight genetic lineages of Halocaridina rubra, an atyid endemic to the anchialine ecosystem of the Hawaiian Archipelago, are presented. Although gene number, order, and orientation were syntenic among genomes, three regions were identified and further quantified where conservation was substantially lower: (1) high length and sequence variability in the tRNA-Lys and tRNA-Asp intergenic region; (2) a 317-bp insertion between the NAD6 and CytB genes confined to a single lineage and representing a partial duplica...
Engineering the 21 st century healthcare

The goal of Distributed Diagnosis and Home Healthcare (D 2 H 2 ) is to improve quality of care and patient wellness and outcomes by transforming the delivery of healthcare from a central, hospital-based system to one that is more distributed, patient-centered and home-based. D 2 H 2 will benefit patients by improving the quality and convenience of care, controlling healthcare cost, and preventing medical errors, thus leading to increased access to affordable and effective healthcare.
The importance of amino sugar turnover to C and N cycling in organic horizons of old-growth Douglas-fir forest soils colonized by ectomycorrhizal mats

Amino sugar dynamics represent an important but under-investigated component of the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles in old-growth Douglas-fir forest soils. Because fungal biomass is high in these soils, particularly in areas colonized by rhizomorphic ectomycorrhizal fungal mats, organic matter derived from chitinous cell wall material (or the monomeric building block of chitin, N-acetylglucosamine (NAG)) could be a significant source of C or N to the soil microbiota, and thus an important driver of microbial C and N processing. This paper reports the results of incubation experiments initiated to measure chitin degradation, NAG utilization, and the contribution of these substrates to soil respiration and N mineralization rates in mat-colonized and non-mat soil organic horizons. Amendments of chitin and NAG stimulated respiration, N mineralization, and biomass accumulation in mat and non-mat soils, and responses to NAG amendment were stronger than to chitin amendment. NAG-induced respiration was consistently two-fold higher in mat soils than non-mat soils, but induced N mineralization was similar between the two soil patch types. Assimilation of both C and N into microbial biomass was apparent, biomass C:N ratio decreased in all treatments, and microbial N use efficiency (treatment means 0.25 ± 0.06–0.50 ± 0.05) was greater than C use efficiency (treatment means 0.12 ± 0.04–0.32 ± 0.02). NAGase enzyme response was non-linear and showed the same pattern in chitin and NAG amendments. Responses to NAG and chitin amendment differed between mat and non-mat soils, indicating different mechanisms driving NAG and chitin utilization or differences in saprotrophic community composition between the two soil patch types. Net chitin and NAG processing rates were 0.08–3.4 times the basal respiration rates and 0.07–14 times the ambient net N mineralization rates, high enough for the turnover of total soil amino sugars to potentially occur in days to weeks. The results support the hypotheses that amino sugars are important microbial C and N sources and drivers of C and N cycling in these soils.
The use of finite strain data in constructing a retrodeformable cross-section of the Meade thrust sheet, southeastern Idaho, U.S.A.

Abstract A method for drawing a balanced cross-section is presented which uses the constraint of both the interpretation of the geometry and the analysis of the internal deformation within the Meade thrust sheet, southeastern Idaho, U.S.A. Earliest deformation associated with the Meade thrust sheet is layer-parallel shortening, which is indicated by a spaced solution cleavage and deformed fossils in the Jurassic Twin Creek Formation. This early layer-parallel shortening fabric is rotated by folding in front of the main Meade thrust sheet. These folds are then truncated by the Meade thrust. Locally, finite strain markers indicate fault-parallel shear.
Dissipative differential inclusions, set-valued energy storage and supply rate maps, and stability of discontinuous feedback systems

a b s t r a c t In this paper, we develop dissipativity notions for dynamical systems with discontinuous vector fields. Specifically, we consider dynamical systems with Lebesgue measurable and locally essentially bounded vector fields characterized by differential inclusions involving Filippov set-valued maps specifying a set of directions for the system velocity and admitting Filippov solutions with absolutely continuous curves. In particular, we introduce a generalized definition of dissipativity for discontinuous dynamical systems in terms of set-valued supply rate maps and set-valued storage maps consisting of locally Lebesgue integrable supply rates and Lipschitz continuous storage functions, respectively. In addition, we introduce the notion of a set-valued available storage map and a setvalued required supply map, and show that if these maps have closed convex images they specialize to single-valued maps corresponding to the smallest available storage and the largest required supply of the differential inclusion, respectively. Furthermore, we show that all system storage functions are bounded from above by the largest required supply and bounded from below by the smallest available storage, and hence, a dissipative differential inclusion can deliver to its surroundings only a fraction of its generalized stored energy and can store only a fraction of the generalized work done to it. Moreover, extended Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov conditions, in terms of the discontinuous system dynamics, characterizing dissipativity via generalized Clarke gradients and locally Lipschitz continuous storage functions are derived. Finally, these results are then used to develop feedback interconnection stability results for discontinuous systems thereby providing a generalization of the small gain and positivity theorems to systems with discontinuous vector fields.
Nutrient quality drives differential phytoplankton community composition on the southwest Florida shelf

During May 2003, the dry season, the southwest Florida shelf was surveyed for nutrient concentrations and phytoplankton community composition concurrently with plankton nutritional and physiological status (tracer techniques, enzyme assay, and biomass response bioassays). Inorganic nitrogen concentrations were low throughout the region, while dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was elevated (.30 mmol N L21) nearshore. Conversely, PO 3{ 4 and dissolved organic phosphorus concentrations were high only in northern coastal areas adjacent to estuarine outflows. Nitrogen : phosphorus (N : P) ratios in the particulate material; gradients in NO { and urea uptake rates; urease and alkaline phosphatase activities; and bioassay responses were indicative of a strong gradient from N to P limitation of plankton biomass from north to south. Nitrogen limitation was apparent in the northern region (N : Pparticulate , 8, Tampa to Sanibel), where PO 3{ 4 and DON inputs dominated; balanced nutrient conditions were evident in the mid-region (N : Pparticulate 5 8–24, Sanibel to Shark River); and P limitation was evident south of the Shark River (N : Pparticulate . 24), where inorganic N input was greatest. Phytoplankton community composition varied along the same gradient, from a cyanobacteria and dinoflagellate community in the north, to a cyanobacteria-dominated community in the mid-region, and to a diatom community in the southern region. Percentages of NO { uptake and diatoms in the total phytoplankton community were positively related, as were percentages of urea uptake and cyanobacteria. Inorganic and organic N and P fractions in the nearshore shelf region reflect longitudinal gradients in regional watershed characteristics, and their relative availability thus appeared to control both phytoplankton community composition and its physiological status.