cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanotransduction molecules in the plant gravisensory response: amyloplast/statolith membranes contain a beta 1 integrin-like protein

It has been hypothesized that the sedimentation of amyloplasts within root cap cells is the primary event in the plant gravisensory-signal transduction cascade. Statolith sedimentation, with its ability to generate weighty mechanical signals, is a legitimate means for organisms to discriminate the direction of the gravity vector. However, it has been demonstrated that starchless mutants with reduced statolith densities maintain some ability to sense gravity, calling into question the statolith sedimentation hypothesis. Here we report on the presence of a beta 1 integrin-like protein localized inside amyloplasts of tobacco NT-1 suspension culture, callus cells, and whole-root caps. Two different antibodies to the beta 1 integrin, one to the cytoplasmic domain and one to the extracellular domain, localize in the vicinity of the starch grains within amyloplasts of NT-1. Biochemical data reveals a 110-kDa protein immunoprecipitated from membrane fractions of NT-1 suspension culture indicating size homology to known beta 1 integrin in animals. This study provides the first direct evidence for the possibility of integrin-mediated signal transduction in the perception of gravity by higher plants. An integrin-mediated pathway, initiated by starch grain sedimentation within the amyloplast, may provide the signal amplification necessary to explain the gravitropic response in starch-depleted cultivars.
Numerical integration in the axisymmetric finite element formulation

Abstract This paper reported the integration of the element stiffness matrix for an axisymmetric finite element formulation. A survey of the various methodologies found in the literature was discussed. Two numerical integration strategies were presented to overcome the inaccuracy that arose when an element was on or close to the axis of rotation.
Relationship between rejection and organ blood flow in sensitized and nonsensitized cardiac and renal grafts.

Arterial flow to cervical renal and cardiac allografts was measured by use of a magnetic flowmeter. No immunosuppression therapy was administered, and flow was monitored until organ function ceased. Flow through kidney grafts remained relatively constant for 2 days with a 10% increase on days 3 and 4 and then a progressive decrease in flow until rejection. Cervical cardiac grafts showed a similar increase in flow on days 3, 4, and 5 with a less marked decrease until rejection. In presumably sensitized animals, this increase in flow was not observed, and a more constant organ flow was observed without reduction until rejection. These data show that there is an increase in flow through heart and kidney grafts at days 3 and 4 which suggests a decrease in vascular resistance or opening of collateral vessels. The later decrease in flow or increase in vascular resistance correlates with the stage of cellular infiltration and may represent an actual obstructive characteristic to flow in the small arterioles. Rejection in sensitized grafts occurs without significant alteration in organ blood flow.
The coupling of synthesis and partitioning of EBV's plasmid replicon is revealed in live cells

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is an exceptionally successful human viral pathogen maintained as a licensed, plasmid replicon in proliferating cells. We have measured the distributions of EBV-derived plasmids in single live cells throughout the cell cycle in the absence of selection and confirmed the measured rates of duplication and partitioning computationally and experimentally. These analyses have uncovered a striking, non-random partitioning for this minimalist plasmid replicon and revealed additional properties of it and its host cells: (1) 84% of the plasmids duplicate during each S phase; (2) all duplicated plasmids are spatially colocalized as pairs, a positioning that is coupled to their non-random partitioning; (3) each clone of cells requires a certain threshold number of plasmids per cell for its optimal growth under selection; (4) defects in plasmid synthesis and partitioning are balanced to yield wide distributions of plasmids in clonal populations of cells for which the plasmids provide a selective advantage. These properties of its plasmid replicon underlie EBV's success as a human pathogen.
Characterization of photodegradation of a polyurethane coating by positron annihilation spectroscopy: correlation with cross-link density

Abstract Photodegradation of a polyurethane coating by Xe arc-lamp irradiation as a function of time is studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. Doppler broadening energy spectra (DBES) of annihilation irradiation is measured as a function of incident positron energy (0–30 keV). A significant decrease in the S -defect parameter from DBES is observed as a function of irradiation time. This is interpreted as a loss of free-volume and holes during the photodegradation process. The cross-link density in the same system is measured by a solvent (methylene chloride) swelling method and is found to increase as a function of irradiation time. A direct correlation between the increase in cross-link density and the decrease in the S -defect parameter from the DBES data is observed. These results are used to discuss the photodegradation process in terms of chemical and physical changes due to UV-irradiation in protective polymeric systems.
Influence of age and physical activity on the primary in vivo antibody and T cell-mediated responses in men

The aging immune system is characterized by the progressive decline in the antibody and T cell-mediated responses to antigen. Little is known, however, about the benefits of exercise in aging on th...
A diagnostic method for retrocaval ureter

Summary o 1. A case report of retrocaval ureter which was diagnosedpreoperatively and successfully repaired surgically is presented. 2. A method for the accurate diagnosis of retrocaval ureter is described. This consists of a retrograde pyelogram performed with a radiopaque ureteral catheter inserted into the vena cava through the saphenous vein.
The social significance of English in Malawi

This paper demonstrates how the language policy in Malawi has entrenched the hegemony of English over Chichewa and other indigenous languages, especially as it pertains to the official domains of national life. Although both English and Chichewa are official languages, the language policy has created an asymmetrical coexistence between these two languages by favoring English over the latter. The paper presents the current role of English, vis-a`-vis Chichewa, based on its functions, range, and depth. The paper further shows that the exclusive use of English in the legislature, the judiciary, and mass media, among other domains, alienates the majority of Malawians who have no facility in this language and consequently limits their political rights in many respects. It is important, therefore, to institute a language plan that can guide the country in sustaining democracy, promoting the vitality, versatility, and stability of indigenous languages, and the rights of their speakers to participate in the national community more effectively.
Sexuality, health, and human rights.

This new work surveys how rapid changes taking place at the start of the twenty-first century in social, cultural, political and economic domains impact on sexuality, health and human rights. The relationships between men, women and children are changing quickly, as are traditional family structures and gender norms. What were once viewed as private matters have become public, and an array of new social movements – transgender, intersex, sex worker, people living with HIV – have come into the open. The book is split into three sections: Global ‘Sex’ Wars – discusses the notion of sexualities, its political landscapes internationally, and the return of religious fervour and extremism Epistemological Challenges and Research Agendas – examines modern ‘scientific’ understandings of sexuality, its history and the way in which AIDS has drawn attention to sexuality The Promises and Limits of Sexual Rights – discusses human rights approaches to sexuality, their strengths and limitations and new ways of imagining erotic justice Offering a unique framework for understanding this new world, set in the context of the major theoretical debates of recent decades, this book will be of interest to professionals, advocates and policy researchers and is suitable for a wide range of courses covering areas such as gender studies, human sexuality, public health and social policy.
WHY HERMAPHRODITIC PLANTS PRODUCE MANY MORE FLOWERS THAN FRUITS: EXPERIMENTAL TESTS WITH AGAVE MCKELVEYANA.

Five hypotheses explaining the low fruit-to-flower ratios in self-incompatible her- maphroditic plants are tested for Agave mckelveyana. Results from pruning, bagging, and hand- pollination experiments indicate that "excess" flowers (i.e., flowers that fail to produce mature fruits) do not contribute to female fitness (i.e., fruit or seed production). These flowers are aborted regardless of their pollination history. Additional data on nectar production imply that these flowers act as pollen donors and contribute to male fitness.
Molecular Relaxation Dynamics of Self-Assembled Monolayers

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy is used to quantify molecular motion in alkylsilane SAMs coated on porous glass over a broad temperature range, -30 to -150 degrees C. Systematic measurements using SAMs with variable coating densities allow us to determine the effect of monolayer disorder on molecular mobility in thin molecular films. A relaxation process with an activation energy of approximately 25 kJ/mol is found to dominate dynamics of SAM-chain segments near the substrate. By introducing polar CN groups at the ends of the chain, we show that the relaxation process in the monolayer canopy can be isolated and studied. This approach can be generalized to other substituent polar groups to probe localized relaxation dynamics in surface-grafted monolayer films.
Targeted therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma: focus on brentuximab vedotin

Despite the relative success of chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), novel therapeutic agents are needed for refractory or relapsed patients. Targeted immunotherapy has emerged as a novel treatment option for these patients. Although unconjugated anti-cluster of differentiation (CD)30 antibodies showed minimal antitumor activity in early clinical trials, development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) appears promising. Brentuximab vedotin is an ADC composed of an anti-CD30 antibody linked to a potent microtubule-disrupting agent monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). It has the ability to target CD30-positive tumor cells and, once bound to CD30, brentuximab vedotin is internalized and MMAE is released to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In two Phase II trials, objective response was reported in 75% and 86% of patients with refractory or relapsed HL and systemic ALCL, respectively, with an acceptable toxicity profile. Based on these studies, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval of brentuximab vedotin in August 2011 for the treatment of refractory and relapsed HL and ALCL. We review the key characteristics of brentuximab vedotin, clinical data supporting its therapeutic efficacy, and current ongoing trials to explore its utility in other CD30-positive malignancies.
An Innovative Program to Support and Promote Breastfeeding: What Have You Done for Me Lately?

Newborn Care Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program Despite evidence for breastfeeding benefits, hospitals fall short in breastfeeding rates and duration. Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data suggest less than 4% of U.S. hospitals offer the full support necessary to meet enduring, committed breastfeeding, and nearly 75% do not provide maternal support after discharge. This challenges an institutional ability to meet the Healthy People 2020 goals to have 81.9% of mothers initiate breastfeeding, 60.6% breastfeed at 6 months, and 34.1% breastfeed at 1 year. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding underscores this critical need, noting low priorities for breastfeeding, and use of nonevidence-based practices as barriers to enduring breastfeeding.
Public acceptance of offshore wind power projects in the USA

Although a rich literature exists on public concern for the effect of land-sited wind power structures on cultural landscapes and the benefits of community involvement in this issue, less is known about how society perceives sea-based structures. Offshore wind power has existed for some time in Europe; in the USA, its development has been hampered by opponents of the Cape Wind project off of Massachusetts. At present, the developer of the proposed Cape Wind project and a second developer proposing a project off of Delaware each strive to erect the first offshore wind power project in the Americas. Here, we examine public opinion. We first provide background on the case studies, then a review of prior studies of support and opposition of wind power projects in order to place the mail surveys within the context of the wider literature. After detailing the methods employed, we analyse the results and provide insights into the similarities and dis-similarities that are revealed in the data, with the intent of gaining a broader understanding of how individuals think about offshore wind power. The strikingly higher public support for offshore wind development in the mid-Atlantic, and especially off Delaware, suggests the possibility of substantially higher US public acceptance of offshore wind power than previously anticipated. Moreover, when offshore wind power is seen as transformative, we find substantial support even for residents near the first developments—residents who thus inherently take more risk. Potentially increasing acceptance of wind power, we argue, portends the shape of things to come. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immunotoxicology of arc welding fume: Worker and experimental animal studies

Arc welding processes generate complex aerosols composed of potentially hazardous metal fumes and gases. Millions of workers worldwide are exposed to welding aerosols daily. A health effect of welding that is of concern to the occupational health community is the development of immune system dysfunction. Increased severity, frequency, and duration of upper and lower respiratory tract infections have been reported among welders. Specifically, multiple studies have observed an excess mortality from pneumonia in welders and workers exposed to metal fumes. Although several welder cohort and experimental animal studies investigating the adverse effects of welding fume exposure on immune function have been performed, the potential mechanisms responsible for these effects are limited. The objective of this report was to review both human and animal studies that have examined the effect of welding fume pulmonary exposure on local and systemic immune responses.
Agricultural and food policies in a United States-Mexico free trade area

Abstract This paper analyzes the effects of a U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement (FTA) on agriculture. We use a 28-sector, three-country computable general equilibrium (CGE) model in which we explicitly model agricultural and food policies in both countries, and differentiate land types. Agricultural policies include tariffs, quotas, input subsidies to farm and food processing sectors, targeted producer prices, fixed retail food prices and deficiency payments. Subsidies to Mexico's food processing industries and deficiency payments are endogenous, rather than fixed, ad valorem price wedges. We use the model to explore the effects of full and partial liberalization of agriculture in an FTA, a restructuring of Mexican domestic farm policies in conjunction with an FTA, and the effects of an increase in the Mexican capital stock. We find that there is potential for Mexican farm program changes to assist agriculture's transition to a free trade environment, and that in the long term, increased capital investment will enable Mexican agriculture to benefit from free trade.
Esters of apomorphine and N,N-dimethyldopamine as agonists of dopamine receptors in the rat brain in vivo.

Abstract Subcutaneous injections of O,O'-diacetylapomorphine, at doses of 0.1 to 10.0 mg kg , produced stereotyped gnawing behaviour in the rat, indistinguishable from that induced by apomorphine. The dose-response relationship and time course of this effect were similar for the two drugs, although the ester appeared to be somewhat more potent and longer-lasting at higher doses. While apomorphine had no behavioural effects when given orally at doses up to 100 mg kg , diacetylapomorphine produced discernible stereotypy at oral doses as low as 10 mg kg . The injection of diacetylapomorphine into animals previously lesioned electrothermally in the left nigro-striatal tract provoked turning behaviour toward the side contralateral to the lesions, with an effectiveness similar to that of apomorphine. Apomorphine, but not diacetylapomorphine, stimulated the production of cyclic AMP when incubated with homogenates of corpus striatum. In analogous experiments, N,N-dimethyldopamine, but not its ester, O,O'-diacetyl-N,N-dimethyldopamine (another apparent agonist of central dopamine receptors in vivo), also stimulated the production of cyclic AMP in homogenates, and a similar failure to stimulate the production of cyclic AMP was obtained with O,O'-dibenzylapomorphine, which had prolonged behavioural effects in vivo. These results are compatible with the conclusion that catechol esters of certain structural analogues of dopamine can be hydrolysed in vivo to yield free catechols capable of stimulating central dopamine receptors.
The electroduction of nitrite in 0.1 M HClO4 at platinum

Summary The reduction of nitrite at platinum electrode in 0.1 M HClO 4 leads to a number of products. At 0.5 V, detectable amounts of NO are found. In the potential range 0.4 to 0.3 V, N 2 O is produced at a high current efficiency. At −0.22 V, nitrite is reduced in net 4 electron convective-diffusion limited process. The products of this reduction are about 60.7% NH 2 OH, 18.8% N 2 O and 21.6% NH 3 .
An improved framework for uncertainty analysis: Accounting for unsuspected errors

I use an analogy with the history of physical measurements, population and energy projections, and analyze the trends in several data sets to quantify the overconfidence of the experts in the reliability of their uncertainty estimates. Data sets include (i) time trends in the sequential measurements of the same physical quantity; (ii) national population projections; and (iii) projections for the U.S., energy sector. Probabilities of large deviations for the true values are parametrized by an exponential distribution with the slope determined by the data. Statistics of past errors can be used in probabilistic risk assessment to hedge against unsuspected uncertainties and to include the possibility of human error into the framework of uncertainty analysis. By means of a sample Monte Carlo simulation of cancer risk caused by ingestion of benzene in soil, I demonstrate how the upper 95th percentiles of risk are changed when unsuspected uncertainties are included. I recommend to inflate the estimated uncertainties by default safety factors determined from the relevant historical data sets.
Multiparameter integrated sensor development involving alternate materials

The sensor community has long been presented with the problem of prioritizing among several competing sensor system variables due to the inability to produce a high confidence, low-cost, reliable, and compact device. Typically a solution for very critical scenarios has been a high-cost scale reduction of larger more laboratory based instrumentation. This often produces data on a single parameter that is beyond reproach, however this can also produce a very delicate, bulky, and costly system often requiring a vacuum system of some sort. An alternative approach involves using micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) based sensors. This typically results in low-cost and extremely compact devices that often produce dubious or insufficient data. Our approach integrates multiple orthogonal stimuli within a single chip to produce a MOEMS based sensor that has a very high degree of signal confidence. The combination of multiple independent parameters significantly improves detection reliability in a small low-cost package. However, it is often the case that the most efficient MOEMS sensing methods require the use of material properties other than the conventional microlithograph based Si, SiN x , SiO 2 and metals. Thus we have been developing techniques to employ more exotic semiconductors for various sensing applications. The group III-V and II-VI compound semiconductors form a very important and versatile collection of material property variables (thermal, optical, mechanical, electrical) available to the MOEMS designer.
A phase II trial of chemotherapy and surgery for non-small cell lung cancer patients with a synchronous solitary metastasis.

Abstract Purpose: Retrospective reports suggest that selected patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a solitary synchronous site of M1 disease may be effectively treated by resection of all disease sites. The feasibility and potential benefit of combining surgery and chemotherapy in this setting are unclear. Therefore, we performed a prospective trial to test this therapeutic approach. Methods: Patients with solitary synchronous M1 NSCLC with or without N2 disease were to receive three cycles of mitomycin, vinblastine, cisplatin (MVP) chemotherapy, followed by resection of all disease sites, and then two cycles of VP chemotherapy. Solitary brain metastases were to be resected before chemotherapy. Results: From 10/92–2/99, 23 patients (12 men, 11 women, median age=55 years) were enrolled. Mediastinoscopy, performed in 22 patients, showed involved N2 nodes in 12. The M1 sites included brain (14 patients) adrenal (3), bone (3), spleen (1), lung (1), and colon (1). Of 12 patients who completed all three induction therapy cycles, 8 underwent R0 resections. Another 5 patients had R0 resections without completing induction therapy. Eight of the 13 patients undergoing R0 resections completed postoperative chemotherapy. The median survival was 11 months; 2 patients survived to 5 years without disease. Conclusions: (1) The number of patients with solitary M1 disease who qualified for this combined modality therapy was small; (2) MVP was poorly tolerated as induction chemotherapy in this patient population; (3) Compared to historical experience with surgery alone, overall survival does not appear to be superior with this treatment strategy.
Using Wafer-Scale Patterns for CMP Analysis

A new set of wafer-scale patterns has been designed for analysis and modeling of key CMP effects. In particular, the goal of this work is to develop methods to characterize the planarization capability of a CMP process using simple measurements on wafer scale patterns. We examine means to pattern large trenches (e.g. 1 to 15 mm wide and 15 mm tall) or circles across 4” and 8” wafers, and present oxide polish results using both stacked and solo pads in conventional polish processes. We find that large separation (15 mm) between trenches enables cleaner measurement and analysis. Examination of oxide removal in the center of the trench as a function of trench width shows a saturation at a length comparable to the planarization length extracted from earlier studies of small-scale oxide patterns. Increase in polish pressure is observed to decrease this saturation point. Such wafer scale patterns may provide information on pad flexing limits in addition to planarization length, and promise to be useful in both patterned wafer CMP modeling and studies of wafer scale CMP dependencies such as nanotopography.
An exploratory research: a comparative analysis of mainstream and ethnic media coverage of social policy issues in the economic stimulus plan debate1

The goal of this exploratory research is to analyze the news coverage of healthcare, education, and employment compared with other issues of the economic stimulus plan in both mainstream and ethnic media. Content analysis of 275 news stories of four mainstream media and 165 news stories of eight ethnic media suggests that both the mainstream and ethnic media put emphasis on the same issues except education at issue-level agenda-setting. Both National Public Radio (NPR) and Cable News Network (CNN) covered health, education, and employment issues more than The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. In the case of second-level agenda-setting (sub-issues), we found more ethnicity-oriented sub-issues in the news coverage of ethnic media.
Community care of the severely mentally ill : is social control a necessary evil in policy-making considerations?

Analysis of the crisis in community care for the severely mentally ill (SMI) reveals that it stems not only from organizational and financial problems, but also from the social structure and ideological perspectives embedded in American society. The desire of society for social control and the maintenance of orderly social life is illuminated as a central factor in public policies regarding the SMI. Policy planning, aimed at improving services for the SMI, must take social structural consideration into account and accept the social control component, perhaps as a necessary evil, nevertheless a necessity, in policies regarding the severely mentally ill.
Bio-Swarm-Pipeline: a light-weight, extensible batch processing system for efficient biomedical data processing

A streamlined scientific workflow system that can track the details of the data processing history is critical for the efficient handling of fundamental routines used in scientific research. In the scientific workflow research community, the information that describes the details of data processing history is referred to as provenance which plays an important role in most of the existing workflow management systems. Despite its importance, however, provenance modeling and management is still a relatively new area in the scientific workflow research community. The proper scope, representation, granularity and implementation of a provenance model can vary from domain to domain and pose a number of challenges for an efficient pipeline design. This paper provides a case study on structured provenance modeling and management problems in the neuroimaging domain by introducing the Bio-Swarm-Pipeline (BSP). This new model, which is evaluated in the paper through real world scenarios, systematically addresses the provenance scope, representation, granularity, and implementation issues related to the neuroimaging domain. Although this model stems from applications in neuroimaging, the system can potentially be adapted to a wide range of bio-medical application scenarios.
Meta-analysis for the evaluation of surrogate endpoints in cancer clinical trials

The identification and validation of putative surrogate endpoints in oncology is a great challenge to medical investigators, statisticians, and regulators. A putative surrogate endpoint must be validated at both individual-level and trial-level before it can be used to replace the clinical endpoint in a future clinical trial. Recently, meta-analytic methods for evaluating potential surrogates have become widely accepted in cancer clinical trials. In this review, after addressing multiple complications and general issues surrounding surrogate endpoints, we review various proposed and adopted meta-analytic methodologies pertaining to the application of these methods to oncology clinical trials with different tumor types. In oncology, several applications have successfully identified useful surrogates. For example, disease-free survival and progression-free survival have been validated through meta-analyses as acceptable surrogates for overall survival in adjuvant colon cancer and advanced colorectal cancer, respectively. We also discuss several limitations of surrogate endpoints, including the critical issues that the extrapolation of the validity of a surrogate is always context-dependent and that such extrapolation should be exercised with caution.
Stability of anisotropic magnetorheological elastomers in finite deformations: A micromechanical approach

Abstract We study the stability of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) undergoing finite deformations in the presence of a magnetic field and derive a general condition for the onset of macroscopic instabilities. In particular, we focus on anisotropic MREs with magnetoactive particles that are aligned along a particular direction, forming chain-like structures. We idealize the microstructure of such anisotropic magnetosensitive elastomers as a multilayered structure and derive an analytical model for the behavior of these materials. The analytical model, together with the derived condition for the onset of instabilities, is used to investigate the influence of magnetomechanical finite deformations on the stability of the anisotropic MREs. While the formulation is developed for generic hyperelastic magnetosensitive elastomers, the results are presented for a special class of soft materials incorporating a neo-Hookean hyperelastic response. The influence of material properties and loading conditions is investigated, providing a detailed picture of the possible failure modes.
Ab initio study of ferroelectricity in BaTiO 3 nanowires

We present a density-functional theory study of finite-size effects in stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric ${\text{BaTiO}}_{3}$ nanowires of varying cross-sectional sizes and sidewall terminations. The tendencies for axial, transverse, and toroidal ferroelectric polarization instabilities in these nanowires have been characterized and possible driving forces underlying these behaviors have been identified. The critical size for ferroelectricity via polarization along the nanowire axis is determined to be $12\text{ }\text{\AA{}}$, regardless of the stoichiometry or nanowire sidewall terminations. The sidewall terminations alter the manner in which axial polarization manifests; for instance, in nonstoichiometric BaO-terminated nanowires, a ``core-shell-type'' polarization results beyond the critical size, while in all other cases, roughly uniform polarization along the same direction was observed across the entire cross section. A tendency for transverse polarization (i.e., normal to the nanowire axis) occurs in nanowires with a cross-sectional size of $16\text{ }\text{\AA{}}$ displaying ${\text{TiO}}_{2}$-terminated sidewall facets. This tendency is accompanied by a toroidal or vortex polarization state, with the toroidal moment along the nanowire axis, to mitigate the depolarizing fields due to transverse polarization.
Nutritive value of potato processing wastes in total mixed rations for dairy cattle.

Abstract The nutritive value of wet potato processing waste for dairy cattle was determined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, rations contained, on a dry matter basis, 0, 10, 15, and 20% potato waste and were substituted for high moisture corn in diets for 32 lactating Holstein cows for 12 wk. Substituting potato waste for corn did not significantly affect milk yield, milk composition, milk production persistency, or dry matter intake. Cows fed 20% potato waste tended to decrease in milk fat percent and to shift molar proportions of rumen volatile fatty acids toward a decrease in acetate:propionate ratio. In Experiment 2, six steers were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design to test digestibility and nitrogen utilization of potato waste substituted for high moisture corn at 0, 10, and 20% of the ration dry matter. A second group of four steers with rumen fistulas were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square to test rumen fermentation parameters. Diets contained 0, 10, 20, and 30% potato wastes and were similar to Experiment 1. Potato waste did not significantly affect digestibility of crude protein or dry matter, but at 20% substitution digestibility of acid detergent fiber decreased. Rumen ammonia, acetate, acetate to propionate ratios, and total volatile fatty acids were lower at high intakes of potato waste and pH was increased. The shift in rumen fermentation when large amounts of potatoes were fed explains the depressed butter fat on these rations.
Utility of blood cultures in febrile children with UTI.

The objective of the study was to define the prevalence of bacteremia in febrile children <18 years of age diagnosed to have acute urinary tract infection (UTI). Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed to have a UTI in the emergency department (ED) of an urban, tertiary care children's hospital was conducted Seven hundred forty-four children were discharged or admitted from the ED with a diagnosis of UTI during the study period. Thirty-six (4.8%) patient records were unavailable for review; 343 met inclusion criteria. Two hundred forty-nine patients (72.8%) had a history of fever. Blood cultures were performed on 183 (53.4%) patients. Of febrile patients, 178 (71.5%) had a blood culture performed. Seventeen of 183 (9.3%) blood cultures were positive. All (17/178, 9.5%) positive blood cultures were obtained from febrile patients. Seven of the positive blood cultures were considered to be contaminated. The prevalence of true bacteremia in febrile patients was 5.6%. All 10 patients with a true pathogen recovered from the blood culture had the same organism in their urine culture. The prevalence of bacteremia in patients younger than 2 months was 22.7% and in patients between the ages of 2 months and 36 months, 3.0%. Patients with a positive blood culture were more likely to be younger, to have been hospitalized and to have had a longer duration of hospitalization. No difference was found between patients with a positive blood culture and those without in regards to the number of days of illness before presentation, time to defervescence and mean white blood cell count. Bacteremia in children with UTI is most common in very early infancy. Children with UTI between the ages of 2 months and 12 years appear to have a low risk of bacteremia. Children who are bacteremic are likely to have identical organisms with identical antimicrobial sensitivities in both the urine and blood culture.
Under-filled BGA solder joint vibration fatigue damage

The paper (1) experimentally determines the survivability/durability of the solder joints of ball grid array (BGA) with/without under-filled materials when subjected to military vibration environment and (2) develops a vibration fatigue life prediction model, which is qualitatively calibrated by test. A test vehicle (TV), on which various sizes of BGA daisy-chained packages with/without under-filled materials, e.g., Hysol (non-reworkable) and Hacthane (reworkable) are soldered, is first designed, fabricated and subjected to random vibration tests continuously monitoring the solder joint integrity. Based on the measurement results, a destructive physical analysis is then conducted to further verify the failure locations and crack paths of the solder joints. Test results indicate that: (1) ceramic BGA (CBGA) mounted to the same modules will be more susceptible to failure than, the plastic BGA (PBGA) under the same conditions; (2) the PBGA solder joint fatigue life could be increased by one-order-of-magnitude (or more) using either one of under-filled materials in the packages versus using no underfilled material; (3) the use of under-filled material of Hysol could also improve the life expectancy of the CBGA by more than a factor of ten; and (4) only a slight increase in the life of the CBGA with using the under-filled material of Hacthane.
A leucine-rich repeat region is conserved in pollen extensin-like (Pex) proteins in monocots and dicots.

We previously isolated a pollen-specific gene encoding a pollen tube wall-associated glycoprotein with a globular domain and an extensin domain from maize (mPex1). To evaluate which protein domains might be important for function, we isolated a second monocot gene (mPex2) and a dicot gene (tPex). Each gene encodes a signal sequence, an N-terminal globular domain comprised of a variable region, a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) with an adjacent cysteine-rich region, a transition region and an extensin-like C-terminal domain. The LRRs of the maize and tomato Pex proteins are highly conserved. Although the extensin domains in the maize and tomato proteins vary in length and in amino acid sequence, they are likely to be structurally conserved. Additional putative Pex gene sequences were identified by either GenBank search (Arabidopsis) or PCR (sorghum and potato); all encode conserved LRRs. The presence of a conserved LRR in the known and potential Pex proteins strongly suggests that this motif is involved in the binding of a specific ligand during pollen tube growth. Gene expression studies using RNA and protein blotting as well as promoter-reporter gene fusions in transient and stable transformation indicate that the tomato Pex gene is pollen-specific.
Militant Intolerant People: A Challenge to John Rawls' Political Liberalism

In this article, it is argued that a significant internal tension exists in John Rawls' political liberalism. He holds the following positions that might plausibly be considered incongruous: (1) a commitment to tolerating a broad right of freedom of political speech, including a right of subversive advocacy; (2) a commitment to restricting this broad right if it is intended to incite and likely to bring about imminent violence; and (3) a commitment to curbing this broad right only if there is a constitutional crisis. By supporting a broad right of freedom of political speech in Political Liberalism, he allows militant intolerant people such as Jihadists, White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis to advocate publicly their dangerously intolerant beliefs. Public advocacy of dangerously intolerant beliefs can be construed as subversive advocacy. As demonstrated by the historical examples of the Weimar Republic and the Second Spanish Republic, militant intolerant groups could use a right of subversive advocacy to threaten the stability of liberal democracies. Hence, by allowing them to exercise a broad right of freedom of political speech, Rawls could jeopardize that which he intends to defend, namely the actual political stability of a liberal democratic order. Lastly, Rawls' conception of ideal constitutional interpretation, which privileges a broad right of freedom of political speech, might be insufficient to deal effectively with the threat posed by militant intolerant groups. Yet a tradition of American constitutional interpretation that balances freedom of speech with other important constitutional and/or political values has overcome a civil war, two world wars, the Cold War and the 9/11 terrorist attacks without abandoning democracy or permanently renouncing those values. Still, Rawls' ideal approach to constitutional interpretation might, in hindsight, help us to understand some of the excesses and deficiencies of American jurisprudence in times of emergency.
When to exit a product: Evidence from the U.S. motion-picture exhibition market

When is it optimal for a multi-product firm to exit a product? We analyze strategic product exit using data on motion-pictures exhibition choices in a major metropolitan first-run market to estimate the survivor function for films at a given theatre. This analysis indicates that a film’s survival at a particular theatre is affected by intra-firm relative performance and interfirm competitive pressures. We find that theatres within chains avoid business stealing. Preliminary analysis further suggests that theatres compete for market share with neighboring theatres by increasing the time to exit when the competing theatre is owned by a different chain. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Clinical Significance of Cyclin B1 Protein Expression in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue

Purpose: Cyclin B1 plays an important role in control of the G 2 -M transition of the cell cycle. We have shown recently that overexpression of cyclin B1 is associated with poor outcome in patients with early stage squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung. Experimental Design: To determine the role of cyclin B1 in SCC of the tongue, we analyzed tumor specimens from 41 patients with stage II–IV SCC of the tongue who underwent curative surgery using immunohistochemistry. Results: The median follow-up of all patients was 83 months. Overexpression of cyclin B1 was observed in 15 (37%) of the 41 tumors, a similar frequency to that found in SCC of the lung. Patients whose tumors showed overexpression of cyclin B1 had a poor event-free survival compared with those lacking this feature ( P = 0.04 by Log-rank test). Multivariate analysis of traditional clinical/pathological factors showed that cyclin B1 overexpression was an independent prognostic indicator. Conclusions: Our study indicates that cyclin B1 is overexpressed in a subset of SCC of the tongue and is associated with a more aggressive biological behavior of the disease.
A Bayesian approach to object detection in color images

In this paper, we describe a supervised parametric Bayesian approach to object detection problem in color images. The proposed method makes use of multivariate Gaussian approximation to color distributions of different image regions. First, a set of sample points with known classification is collected from the object and background areas of an input image. This labeled training set is used for maximum likelihood (ML) estimates of the color mean vectors and covariance matrices for the regions of interest. A decision function is then defined as the a posteriori class conditional probabilities of the object and background regions. Using the Bayes rule and Gaussian models, a quadratic decision function is obtained corresponding to a hyperquadratic decision surface in the (R,G,B)-measurement space. The underlying surface divides the space into two mutually exclusive volumes of the object and background color clusters, resulting in a pixel classification strategy in the spatial plane. The experimental result provided in the paper illustrates that the method is quite effective on noisy textured images.
Consciousness and the Anomalous Organization of Random Events: The Role of Absorption

Research has documented that intention can be associated with deviations in an electronic Random Event Generator (REG). The present set of five experiments examined correlates of changes in the REG with two aspects of absorption, perceived depth (depth) and distortions of time perception (time) in a single subject (the first author). In the initial exploratory experiment, the subject collected 59 experimental runs in which various meditative practices were performed, and 42 control runs. Ratings of depth and time were each significantly correlated with magnitude of deviation in the REG. These find- ings were replicated in a confirmatory experiment with 60 experimental runs that included deliberate "daydream" runs, and 43 control runs. The third experiment manipulated "absorbed/daydream" runs (A) and control (non- absorbed) runs (B) using 20 sets of ABAB runs. The main effect of A versus B was significant. The fourth experiment tested the possibility that the results were due to some electromagnetic effect produced by body movement and consisted of 20 hand motion runs and 20 "absorbed" runs. The results sug- gested that absorption, and not movement, was the main factor of importance. The fifth experiment was intended to confirm the findings suggested in experi- ment four. A total of 40 runs were collected at two distances from the REG, and ratings of absorption were taken for all runs. Significant results were found for absorption, not distance. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that states of absorption associated with changes in perception of time and experi- ence of trance-like awareness are associated with replicable alterations in an electromagnetically shielded REG device.
Cycle-time quantile estimation in manufacturing systems employing dispatching rules

The cycle-time distribution of manufacturing systems employing dispatching rules other than FIFO can be both highly skewed and have heavy tails. Previous cycle-time quantile estimation work has suggested that the Cornish-Fisher expansion can be used in conjunction with discrete-event simulation to provide cycle-time quantile estimates for a variety of systems operating under FIFO dispatching without requiring excess data storage. However, when the cycle-time distribution exhibits heavy skewness and kurtosis, the accuracy of quantile estimates obtained using the Cornish-Fisher expansion may degrade, sometimes severely. This paper demonstrates the degradation and motivates the need for a modification to the Cornish-Fisher expansion for estimating quantiles under non-FIFO dispatching rules. A solution approach combining a data transformation, the maximum (minimum)-transformation, with the Cornish-Fisher expansion is presented. Results show that this provides significant improvements in accuracy over using the Cornish-Fisher expansion alone while still retaining the advantage of requiring minimal data storage.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF LIFT MODIFICATION ON DOUBLE- DELTA WINGS USING FILLETS FOR 3-D AND FLAT PLATE MODELS

There is evidence that modifications to the geometry of the strake/wing junction on double-delta wings (fillets) can delay vortex breakdown and increase lift at moderate to high angle-of-attack (AOA). Flatplate models are frequently employed to study the vortex dynamics. The objective of the present study was to investigate lift characteristics of three fillet geometries and compare the effect of fillets on a flatplate model with that of a three-dimensional (3-D) model of a modern fighter/attack aircraft of the same planform. Both the 3-D and flat plate models, with and without fillets, were tested over a range of static AOA in a subsonic wind tunnel. The forces and moments on the models were measured using a six-component, sting-type force balance. The results presented show that fillets increase lift at moderate to high AOA on the flat-plate model by 2.5% to 12.9%, however, the fillets had little effect on lift for the 3-D model. Since it was hypothesized that fuselage effects may have led to the disparity in the results, a centerbody was added to the flat-plate model and tested. These results also show an increase in lift with the fillets comparable to those seen without the centerbody.
Uranium series dating of Allan Hills ice

Uranium-238 decay series nuclides dissolved in Antarctic ice samples were measured in areas of both high and low concentrations of volcanic glass shards. Ice from the Allan Hills site (high shard content) had high Ra-226, Th-230 and U-234 activities but similarly low U-238 activities in comparison with Antarctic ice samples without shards. The Ra-226, Th-230 and U-234 excesses were found to be proportional to the shard content, while the U-238 decay series results were consistent with the assumption that alpha decay products recoiled into the ice from the shards. Through this method of uranium series dating, it was learned that the Allen Hills Cul de Sac ice is approximately 325,000 years old.