cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New World of plants

On page 1614 of this issue, Ulloa Ulloa et al. ( 1 ) provide the first comprehensive overview of vascular plant diversity in the New World. The study, which includes a 2600-page online checklist and a continuously updated, searchable database [Vascular Plants of the Americas, see ( 2 )] is a monumental achievement that will be of enormous interest to conservation biologists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, biogeographers, land managers, and governmental officials around the world.
Influence of a Character-Based App on Children's Learning of Nutritional Information: Should Apps Be Served with a Side of Media Characters?

Abstract Objective: Childhood obesity is a health issue in the United States, associated with marketing practices in which media characters are often used to sell unhealthy products. This study examined exposure to a socially contingent touch-screen gaming app, which replied immediately, reliably, and accurately to children's actions. Children's recall of nutritional content and their liking of the character were assessed. Materials and Methods: Four- and five-year-old children (N = 114) received no-exposure, single-exposure, or repeated-exposure to a character-based iPad app rewarding healthy and penalizing unhealthy behaviors. Children reported how much they liked the character and recalled healthy and unhealthy items from the app. An ordinary least squares regression was conducted on how much children liked the character by condition. Poisson regressions were conducted on the number of items recalled by condition alone, and in an interacted model of treatment condition by liking the character. Results:...
Application of Additive Regional Kalman Filtering to X-Ray Images in NDE

One of the time consuming procedures in inspecting parts by x-ray film is the identification of a flaw. Low contrast films of dense objects especially cause problems. A radiologist must have considerable experience in identification in order to keep the examination time relatively small, but also keep the reliability high. Our objective in this project is to develop a computer procedure that will sufficiently enhance flaws in an image in a manner that will reduce the time it takes a human to locate and identify a flaw.
Integrating Groundwater Boundary Matters into Catchment Management

With 97% of the world’s freshwater resources stored underground, the connection between groundwater resources to the metrics of space, scale and time common to the geographic study of natural resources has not been extensively investigated by political geographers. Recognized as a common pool resource, the management and governance of groundwater resources is challenging and increasingly conflictive not only due to its hidden nature, but also because of the difficulty in placing boundaries around the groundwater resources and user domains.
Capturing foraging and resting behavior using nested multivariate Markov models in an air-breathing marine vertebrate

Matching animal movement with the behaviors that shape life history requires a rigorous connection between the observed patterns of space use and inferred behavioral states. As animal-borne dataloggers capture a greater diversity and frequency of three dimensional movements, we can increase the complexity of movement models describing animal behavior. One challenge in combining data streams is the different spatial and temporal frequency of observations. Nested movement models provide a flexible framework for gleaning data from long-duration, but temporally sparse, data sources. Using a two-layer nested model, we combined geographic and vertical movement to infer traveling, foraging and resting behaviors of Humpback whales off the West Antarctic Peninsula. This approach refined previous work using only geographic data to delineate coarser behavioral states. Our results showed increased intensity in foraging activity in late season animals as the whales prepared to migrate north to tropical calving grounds. Our model also suggests strong diel variation in movement states, likely linked to daily changes in prey distribution. Using a combination of two-dimensional and three-dimensional movement data, we highlight the connection between whale movement and krill availability, as well as the complex spatial pattern of whale foraging in productive polar waters.
Disproportionate Experiences in Custody? An Examination of Minority Youths’ Outcomes in Secure Facilities

While a significant amount of literature has emphasized the identification and explanation of disproportionate minority contact (DMC) in the juvenile justice system, less research has examined raci...
DDGK: Learning Graph Representations for Deep Divergence Graph Kernels

Can neural networks learn to compare graphs without feature engineering? In this paper, we show that it is possible to learn representations for graph similarity with neither domain knowledge nor supervision (i.e. feature engineering or labeled graphs). We propose Deep Divergence Graph Kernels, an unsupervised method for learning representations over graphs that encodes a relaxed notion of graph isomorphism. Our method consists of three parts. First, we learn an encoder for each anchor graph to capture its structure. Second, for each pair of graphs, we train a cross-graph attention network which uses the node representations of an anchor graph to reconstruct another graph. This approach, which we call isomorphism attention, captures how well the representations of one graph can encode another. We use the attention-augmented encoder's predictions to define a divergence score for each pair of graphs. Finally, we construct an embedding space for all graphs using these pair-wise divergence scores. Unlike previous work, much of which relies on 1) supervision, 2) domain specific knowledge (e.g. a reliance on Weisfeiler-Lehman kernels), and 3) known node alignment, our unsupervised method jointly learns node representations, graph representations, and an attention-based alignment between graphs. Our experimental results show that Deep Divergence Graph Kernels can learn an unsupervised alignment between graphs, and that the learned representations achieve competitive results when used as features on a number of challenging graph classification tasks. Furthermore, we illustrate how the learned attention allows insight into the the alignment of sub-structures across graphs.
Tributary use and large-scale movements of grass carp in Lake Erie

Abstract Infrequent captures of invasive, non-native grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) have occurred in Lake Erie over the last 30+ years, with recent evidence suggesting wild reproduction in the lake’s western basin (WB) is occurring. Information on grass carp movements in the Laurentian Great Lakes is lacking, but an improved understanding of large-scale movements and potential areas of aggregation will help inform control strategies and risk assessment if grass carp spread to other parts of Lake Erie and other Great Lakes. Twenty-three grass carp captured in Lake Erie’s WB were implanted with acoustic transmitters and released. Movements were monitored with acoustic receivers deployed throughout Lake Erie and elsewhere in the Great Lakes. Grass carp dispersed up to 236 km, with approximately 25% of fish dispersing greater than 100 km from their release location. Mean daily movements ranged from
Behavioral skills training to increase interview skills of adolescent males in a juvenile residential treatment facility

Some studies suggest that acquiring employment following release from prison may reduce recidivism; however, few studies have evaluated procedures for teaching job-related skills to adolescents in residential detention facilities. Stocco et al. (2017) used behavioral skills training (BST) to improve interview skills of college students. The current study used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the extent to which BST improved interview skills for 7 adolescents who had been adjudicated for sexual offenses. Results show that BST increased appropriate responses to interview questions for 4 students and BST plus modifications (i.e., stimulus and response prompts) increased correct responding to questions for the other 3. In addition, BST increased appropriate questions, correct posture, and smiling, and decreased fidgeting for all 7 students. We briefly discuss the social implications of teaching interview skills to adjudicated adolescents, as well as the limitations of the findings.
Archaeology and oral tradition in Malawi: origins and early history of the Chewa

Before Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964, the only archaeologist to have done any sustained research within its borders was J. Desmond Clark. From 1947 to 1961 he was based ...
Object-Oriented Analysis

During the requirements elicitation phase of the software life cycle, information that will be used to define the software system is gathered from numerous sources and organized for this purpose. This information comes in the form of requirements, which are categorized into functional and non-functional requirements.
Experience of using holmium laser lithotripsy for ureteric stones in children

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of holmium laser lithotripsy for ureteric stones in children.Methods A retrospective analysis of pediatric patients with ureteric stones and treated by holmium laser lithotripsy between December 2008～October 2010 was done.Results A total of 36 cases (41 sides) were treated.32 sides had successful ureteroscopic lithotripsy of stones; 8 sides require guidewire,ureterie stent or double-J catheter dilation to achieve success; 1 side needed a change to perculaneous holmium laser lithotripsy.7 cases had associated uretera polyps.All patients had post-lithotripsy indwelling double J catheter for 1 to 4 weeks.Routine assessment of stone clearance was done for all patients using USG or KUB 2 weeks after double-J stent removal.Stone clearance rate was 97.6％.All patients were followed up for 3-24 months,no ureteric stenosis and stone recurrence was seer.Conclusions Ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy in infants and young children is safe and effective for ureteral stones in experienced hands. Key words: Ureteral calculi; Holmium laser; Lithotripsy, laser
Influence of Shear Span-to-Effective Depth Ratio on Behavior of High-Strength Reinforced Concrete Beams

The shear span-to-effective depth ratio (a/d) is one of the factors governing the shear behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, with or without shear reinforcement. In high-strength concrete (HSC), cracks may propagate between the aggregate particles and result in a brittle failure which is against the philosophy of most design guidelines. The experimental results of six HSC beams, with and without shear reinforcement, tested under four-point bending with a/d ranged from 2.0 to 3.0 are presented and compared with different model equations in design codes. The a/d ratio has higher influence on the shear strength of reinforced HSC beams without shear reinforcement than beams with shear reinforcement. Most of the shear resistance prediction models underestimate the concrete shear strength of the beams but overpredict shear resistance of beams with shear reinforcement. However, the fib Model code 2010 accurately predicted the shear resistance for all the beams within an appropriate level of approximation (LoA).
Hybrid watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum × Myriophyllum sibiricum) exhibits traits associated with greater invasiveness than its introduced and native parental taxa

Hybridization has been associated with increased invasiveness in plants. In North America, the hybrid aquatic plant Myriophyllum spicatum × Myriophyllum sibiricum (hybrid watermilfoil, hereafter HWM) is a cross between non-native invasive Eurasian watermilfoil (M. spicatum, EWM) and native northern watermilfoil (M. sibiricum, NWM). Lab-based trials have demonstrated higher growth rates in HWM compared to EWM and NWM, but these patterns have not been systematically examined in the field. In this study, we compared the invasiveness of HWM to its parental taxa, EWM and NWM, by examining the amount and timing of: (1) flowering, (2) surface cover, and (3) biomass (using stem counts as a proxy). We conducted repeat surveys of Myriophyllum beds at eight lakes (2–3 lakes/taxon) in the Minneapolis–St. Paul Metropolitan area (Minnesota, USA) between June 2017 and November 2018. HWM produced more flower spikes earlier and overall, and maintained consistently more flower spikes throughout the growing season than EWM and NWM. In addition, surface cover reached greater annual peaks and was higher for longer throughout the growing season for HWM than for both parental taxa. We did not observe a significant difference in stem counts among the three taxa, but HWM did reach a higher maximum number of stems than either parental taxon. This study provides field-based evidence of increased invasiveness associated with hybridization between EWM and NWM; specifically, greater reproductive potential via flowering and greater surface cover may increase HWM spread, have greater impacts on native species, and pose more of a nuisance to lake users.
Emerging Adults' Adherence to Preventative Health Guidelines in Response to COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To examine rates of emerging adults' (EA) adherence to preventative health behavior recommendations during early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate demographic (i.e., gender, years of education, socioeconomic status, school enrollment status, and living situation) and exposure and impact-related correlates of adherence. METHODS: Participants were 273 [M (SD) age = 22 (2.1) years, 55% female, 32% from minoritized groups] EA completed an online survey of adherence to 11 preventative health behaviors recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) during summer 2020. Participants rated adherence via a visual analog scale. Participants also reported demographic information and completed the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Adolescent and Young Adult Version (CEFIS-AYA). RESULTS: Median levels of adherence to preventative recommendations ranged from 66% to 100%. Highest adherence levels (Mdn > 90%) were reported for quarantining if exposed to COVID-19; covering mouth when sneezing; avoiding the elderly/those at high risk; and avoiding large gatherings. Median adherence was <80% for mask wearing; maintaining a 6-foot distance; avoiding in-person visits with romantic partners or friends; and disinfecting surfaces. Female gender was the only variable significantly associated with overall adherence, and it explained 4% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Following guidelines related to social distancing practices may be particularly challenging for EA, possibly because of unique developmental needs of this group, and males may be at greater risk for non-adherence to CDC recommendations. Therefore, public health messaging and adherence intervention development should be designed with males and social distancing practices in mind.
Conjunctive Groundwater Management as a Response to Social Ecological Disturbances: A Comparison of Four Western U.S. States

Recent severe droughts in U.S. western and Great Plains states have highlighted the challenges that socio-ecological disturbances can pose for governing groundwater resources, as well as the interconnections between groundwater and surface water and the need to manage the 2 in an integrated way. Conjunctive management recognizes these interconnections and can be used to mitigate disturbances and achieve a variety of water management goals. However, comparative studies of how and to what extent various states have implemented conjunctive management strategies are few. Here we compare and assess the use of conjunctive management practices in 4 western state —Arizona, California, Nebraska, and Texas—with a particular focus on groundwater. Special attention is paid to factors of geography and infrastructure, degree of administrative (de)centralization, and monitoring and modeling in relation to conjunctive management. Despite the commonality of bifurcated regimes for groundwater and surface water, all 4 states have responded to disturbances with conjunctive management strategies in various ways. Although it has groundwater management challenges similar to those in the other 3 states, Texas has overall been slower to adopt conjunctive management strategies.
The NF-κB pathway regulates sensitivity of the breast cancer line MDA-MB-436 to inhibition of proliferation by the calpain inhibitor ritonavir

3855 We have demonstrated that the HIV protease inhibitor, ritonavir, blocks the growth of breast cancer lines independent of EGFR, her2, ER or p53 status. Ritonavir inhibits the growth of lines MCF7, T47D, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436 and SKBR3, with IC 50 values in the range of 10-45 μM. In all of these lines, phospho-Akt is down-regulated by ritonavir treatment. By fluorometric analysis of cancer lines, including MDA-MB-231, ritonavir blocks calpain activity in the range of 10-45 μM, but has significant effects on proteasome activity only at higher concentrations, of >60 μM. Because Akt has been implicated in calpain-mediated NF-κB activation, we determined whether NF-κB regulated genes are down-regulated by ritonavir treatment at the IC 50 for the MDA-MB-436 line. Affymetrix cDNA microarray analysis was performed, using the U133 chip set, assayed in quadruplicate. This line was chosen because of its constitutive nuclear NF-κB and our ability to down-regulate nuclear NF-κB by stable over-expression of the IκB-α superrepressor. RNA was isolated from MDA-MB-436 cells at 4 and 8 h of treatment with ritonavir or DMSO vehicle, at the same cell density as used for proliferation assays. The NF-κB regulated genes IL1-β, IL6 and IL8 were modestly down-regulated by 20 to 30% at 4 and 8 h of ritonavir treatment (P 50 of the parental MDA-MB-436, super-repressor expressing MDA-MB-436-IκBαSR, and vector control MDA-MB-436-LXSN lines and found the IC 50 for ritonavir to be 40, 42 and 26 μM, respectively. These findings indicate that calpain inhibition by ritonavir minimally blocks constitutive nuclear NF-κB and that instead constitutive NF-κB plays a role in resistance to ritonavir. We tested this hypothesis by determining whether ritonavir and the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 synergize to block the growth of breast cancer lines expressing constitutive nuclear NF-κB. By isobologram analysis, the combination of the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 and ritonavir resulted in a Chou-Talalay combination index of 0.15, indicating strong synergy. These results suggest that the combination of ritonavir and NF-κB inhibitors may be useful for the development of therapeutic strategies for breast cancers expressing constitutive nuclear NF-κB.
Synthesis of N4amG as a novel probe for cell nucleus activity assessment

1173 Objectives Uptake of F-18 FDG in highly glycolytic areas could not differentiate infection and/or inflammation which cause false positive results. An alternative way is to target cell proliferation via nucleoside analogues. This study was aimed to synthesis a guanine analog for cell nucleus activity assessment. Methods N4-Guan is synthesized through a 9-step reaction. The hydroxyl groups of penciclovir was selectively protected. The unprotected hydroxyl group was converted to an amino group. The carboxyl acid group of the N4 mono-acid was reacted with amino-penciclovir to form amide linage. N4amG was obtained after deprotection and purification. Radiolabeling of N4amG with Tc-99m was performed in a standard manner. Cell uptake assay and cytoplasm/nucleus isolation was performed using breast cancer cell line. Biodistribution and planar imaging (n=3/time interval) of Tc-99m N4amG were conducted in breast tumor-bearing rats from 0.5-4hrs. Computer outlined region of interest (counts per pixel) was used to determine tumor-to-muscle (T/M) count density ratios. Dosimetry estimates were computed from respective biodistribution data using Olinda software. Results Mass spectronmetry, NMR and HPLC analysis for N4amG were performed to determine the structure. The purity was >97%. The total synthetic yield was 6%. Radiochemical purity of Tc-99m N4amG determined by ITLC was >95% (in saline). There was 2.3%ID uptake in cytoplasm and 1.5%ID in nucleus after 4 hours incubation indicated Tc-99m N4amG was involved in cell nucleus activity. In the breast tumor-bearing rat planar imaging from 0.5-4 hours, T/M ratio was 3.65+0.18 to 5.02+0.41. In the rat biodistribution from 0.5-4hrs, tumor, tumor/blood and tumor/muscle count density ratios were 0.32+0.06 to 0.43+0.04, 0.29+0.02 to 0.52+0.02 and 3.24+0.38to 4.30+0.59, respectively. Tc-99m N4amG showed total rad absorbed by each organ was below the proposed annual and total limits after dosimetry estimation. Conclusions Our data indicate that it is feasible to assess tumor nucleus activity with Tc-99m N4amG.
11 Frontiers in Chemical Reaction Engineering

Publisher Summary This chapter distinguishes between two types of “frontiers” in chemical reaction engineering. One type focuses on problems in newly emerging areas, such as microelectronics, semiconductors, materials, and biotechnology. These frontiers represent a stimulus for the expansion and renewal of the intellectual foundation of our profession. The other frontier exists as the boundary between is known and understood well and what is not known. These areas, from which chemical reaction engineering grew, include chemical reactor design and analysis, chemical kinetics, and catalysis and are the “traditional” areas of chemical reaction engineering. The chapter focuses on the frontier of the more traditional areas in chemical reaction engineering. Chemical reactor modeling is considered first, followed by kinetic modeling, and the integration of various elements of chemical reaction engineering into a more useful pattern. Current and future frontiers are highlighted with an emphasis on those that provide the greatest potential impact.
Do Insiders Knowingly Issue Overvalued Equity? Evidence from IPOs that Get Delisted

Using a sample of 155 IPOs that delist due to performance-related reasons shortly after going public, this paper sheds light on the motives of entrepreneurs and early investors in taking their firm public. I empirically examine the actions of insiders over the entire public life of the IPO firm in order to understand whether they knowingly sell overvalued equity. I examine the behavior and the trading activities of individuals closest to the firm at the offer stage, after the lock-up expiration, and prior to delisting. I find no evidence that suggests that insiders knowingly issue overvalued equity. The behavior of insiders at the offer and after the lock-up expiration does not offer any evidence of insiders systematically exploiting their private information to gain at the expense of outside investors. Additionally, the results show that insiders of delisted IPOs do not bail out before the firm delists. This is consistent with the evidence found in previous studies of managers being overconfident and unreasonably optimistic regarding their firm's prospects. Alternatively, it is also consistent with the behavior of entrepreneurs being different from that of hired managers; entrepreneurs may be reluctant to let go of their firm even when they realize that the business is doomed. Overall, the results lend support for either the 'hubris' hypothesis or the 'entrepreneurial pride' explanation; they are largely inconsistent with the 'windows of opportunity' hypothesis.
Mortality increases when radical cystectomy is delayed more than 12 weeks: results from a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare analysis.

BACKGROUND: Single-institution series have documented the adverse impact of a 12-week delay between resection of muscle-invasive bladder cancer and radical cystectomy. These data are derived from tertiary centers, in which referral populations may confound outcomes. The authors sought to examine the survival impact of a delay in radical cystectomy using nationally representative data. METHODS: From the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare dataset, the authors identified subjects with stage II transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder who underwent radical cystectomy between 1992 and 2001. They examined delays of 8, 12, and 24 weeks and incorporated these delay cutoffs into multivariate Cox proportional hazards survival models. Covariates included age, race/ethnicity, marital status, Charlson comorbidity index, and cancer grade. RESULTS: The authors identified 441 subjects with stage II TCC who underwent cystectomy during the study period. Compared with immediate surgery (ie, within 4-8 weeks of transurethral resection), longer time to cystectomy increased the risk of both disease-specific and overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.0; P < .01 and HR, 1.6; P < .01, respectively, for those delayed 12-24 weeks; HR, 2.0; P < .01 for disease-specific and overall death among those delayed beyond 24 weeks 1 year after diagnosis). Covariates associated with overall mortality included older age (HR, 1.04; P < .01) and comorbidity (HR, 2.0 for Charlson ≥3 vs Charlson 0-1; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Delay in definitive surgical treatment beyond 12 weeks conferred an increased risk of disease-specific and all-cause mortality among subjects with stage II bladder cancer. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Prolyl hydroxylase activity during newt forelimb regeneration

Prolyl hydroxylase activity was measured to obtain insight into changes in collagen metabolism during forelimb regeneration in the adult newt, Notophthalmus viridescens. Activity increased markedly during the redifferentiative stages, remained elevated during digit formation, and decreased as regeneration neared completion. The greatest activity, seen during early digit formation, represents a 20-fold increase in activity over the level seen in nonregenerating limbs. The profile of enzyme activity correlates with the rate of collagen synthesis and the soluble collagen content of the regenerating tissue. Enzyme extracted from limbs in the early stages of regeneration can be activated in vitro upon preincubation with cofactors; however, preincubation has little, if any, effect on enzyme extracted from limbs at the later digit-forming stages.
Direct-write scanning probe lithography: towards a desktop fab

Massively parallel scanning-probe based methods have been used to address the challenges of nanometer to millimeter scale printing for a variety of materials and mark a step towards the realization of a "desktop fab." Such tools enable simple, flexible, high-throughput, and low-cost nano- and microscale patterning, which allow researchers to rapidly synthesize and study systems ranging from nanoparticle synthesis to biological processes. We have developed a novel scanning probe-based cantilever-free printing method termed polymer pen lithography (PPL), which uses an array of elastomeric tips to transfer materials (e.g. alkanethiols, proteins, polymers) in a direct-write manner onto a variety of surfaces. This technique takes the best attributes of dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) and eliminates many of the disadvantages of contact printing. Various related techniques such as beam pen lithography (BPL), scanning probe block copolymer lithography (SPBCL), and hard-tip, soft spring lithography (HSL) are also discussed.
Changes in Textural, Pasting and Thermal Properties of Wheat Buns and Tortillas During Storage

The texture, pasting and thermal properties of two common baked products made from wheat flour, buns and tortillas, were characterised periodically over 8 days of storage. Firmness of buns and tortillas increased throughout storage as measured using a texture analyser. Pasting viscosities of crumb-water slurries were measured with a Rapid Visco Analyser. Pasting viscosities at 74 °C, 95 °C of fresh products (one min after baking) were significantly lower than their respective dough pasting viscosities. No particular trend was observed in the pasting properties of bun and tortilla samples upon further storage up to 8 days. Amylose solubility decreased significantly immediately after baking in both buns and tortillas and continued to decrease throughout the storage period. Thermal analysis with a differential scanning calorimeter detected amylopectin recrystallisation almost immediately after baking (1 min) in tortillas, whereas amylopectin recrystallisation in buns was evident only after storage for 1 day. Amylopectin recrystallisation in tortillas continued to increase during storage. Overall, the harsher processing of buns, i.e. higher temperature, longer time and higher moisture environment, resulted in greater dispersion of amylose and amylopectin, and retrogradation of amylose in buns than in tortillas. Further, amylopectin crystallisation by itself did not contribute to staling, because more amylopectin crystallisation was observed in tortillas than in buns, even though the shelf life of tortillas is longer than buns.
Developing Interconnection Matrices in Structural Modeling

A procedure is described for developing an interconnection matrix that specifies a cascade connection of two known digraphs to form a digraph. The solution of this form of the interconnection problem can be applied to complete the process of description of a binary relation initiated by the process of partitioning on elements described in a companion paper [3]. It is assumed that the contextual relation being modeled is transitive. Based on this assumption, it is shown that the possibilities of interconnection can be completely prescribed in a characteristic logic equation. This equation can be used as the complete basis for development of an interconnection matrix. An example of its use is given. Much of the burden of structural modeling is assigned to the computer, leaving to the developer the tasks requiring substantive knowledge of the system being modeled.
Differential cholinergic sensitivity of sinus and AV nodes

The effects of the muscarinic antagonist gallamine were studied in anesthetized dogs via selective perfusion of the SA and AV nodal arteries. Before gallamine, acetylcholine injected into the SA node artery induced asystole while injection into the AV node artery induced heart block. After gallamine, acetylcholine via the AV node artery was without effect while, via the SA node artery, acetylcholine still induced negative chronotropic effects. Thus the muscarinic receptors of the SA and AV nodes may be inhomogeneous.
Glutamine Oxidation by Developing Rat Small Intestine

Glutamine has been reported to be a major oxidative substrate in adult rat small intestine. The significance of glutamine by developing rat jejunal tissue slices and isolated mitochondria was determined. Jejunum slices from suckling rats actively oxidized glutamine at rates significantly greater than adult slices. Increasing the glutamine concentration (0.5-4 mM) in the assay increased glutamine by jejunum of suckling pups by 30% compared to a 100% increase in adult jejunum. Glutamine oxidation by isolated jejunal mitochondria was similar in suckling and adult rat. Glutamine oxidation by jejunum of suckling rat was increased in the presence of 5 mM glucose whereas adult glutamine oxidation was not affected by exogenous glucose. Glutamine inhibited glucose oxidation by jejunum of both suckling and adult rats. In adult jejunal homogenates alanine aminotransferase activity was 2-fold greater than in suckling animals. In the presence of 10 mM aminooxyacetate, a known inhibitor of alanine aminotransferase, glutamine oxidation by jejunum of suckling rat was inhibited by 95%, suggesting that alanine aminotransferase is a major metabolic pathway for the oxidation of glutamine.
FLEXIBLE ADJUSTMENT OF DATA: AN EXERCISE IN RELATIONAL ALGEBRA

Abstract Databases may exhibit many forms of incompleteness. This paper explores methods for overcoming incompleteness in the form of missing tuples. Specifically, algorithms are investigated for replacing a relation that is known to be incomplete with a superset. Of particular interest are algorithms that make available at any time a current approximation and with the property that the approximate solution improves monotonically with computing time. Although this paper concentrates on rule matching in rule-based systems, application of these and similar methods to problems of knowledge discovery in incomplete databases is also discussed.
How robust is the Internet

Complex systems, such as the Internet, are surprisingly resistant to random errors. But a new study warns against complacency — the feature that makes the Internet immune to accidents also makes it vulnerable to attack.
Sequence analysis of feline caliciviruses isolated from the oral cavity of clinically normal domestic cats (Felis catus) in Florida.

Four isolates (7.3 per cent) of feline calicivirus (FCV), from oropharyngeal swabs taken from 55 unvaccinated apparently healthy cats, were identified by electron microscopy and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A 671-bp fragment, comprising part of region B, all of regions C, D, and E and part of region F of the FCV capsid protein gene, was amplified from each isolate by RT-PCR and cloned for sequence analysis. Amino acid sequence comparison of these regions revealed significant sequence divergence from the F9 vaccine strain within regions C, E, and F. The hypervariable region E of the four Florida isolates and the NADC isolate contained three fewer amino acids than the commonly used F9 vaccine strain. This work provides support to the idea that currently circulating FCV strains may differ substantially from presently used vaccine strains.
Cortisol protection of the granulocyte response to isoproterenol during an in vitro influenza virus incubation

Isolated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) release beta glucuronidase (BG) lysosomal enzyme during incubation with complement-activated zymosan particles. In asthma, isoproterenol (ISO) and histamine (HIS) inhibition of PMN lysosomal enzyme release is impaired while the prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) response is normal. During a respiratory infection provoking asthma, the PMN response to ISO is further impaired. The PMN response to ISO, HIS, and PGE1 is similarly impaired following an in vitro incubation with a live influenza bivalent (A + B) vaccine. In the following study, granulocytes were isolated from normal (n = 10) and asthma patients (n = 29). The isolated cells were incubated with the bivalent influenza vaccine (1 PMN:1 egg infective dose50) for 30 min. Following this in vitro virus incubation, granulocytes from normal and asthma patients had an imparied response to ISO, HIS, and PGE1. Granulocytes from asthma patients having a history of wheezing with respiratory illnesses did not have a greater impairment in the agonist response following virus incubation than normals or allergic asthma patients. However, in asthma patients (n = 6) receiving prednisone (10 to 20 mg/day), the in vitro vaccine incubation did not impair the PMN ISO response. A similar protective effect was found if granulocytes were incubated with hydrocortisone (1,4 X 10(-4) M) prior to exposure to the influenza vaccine.
Distinct components of neutral amino acid transport in chick small intestine.

Abstract 1. 1. The intestinal absorption of alanine, β-alanine, α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), glycine, proline and tryptophan has been studied by an in vitro tissue accumulation method in the chick. 2. 2. The use of amino acids as specific blocking agents allowed for the characterization of seven discrete components of neutral amino acid transport which can be grouped into three major categories: (a) those processes inhibited by leucine and glycine; (b) those inhibited by leucine, but not by glycine; (c) those not inhibited by leucine.
Selection of a Model for Algal Blooms on Lake Okeechobee: an Application of Decision Analysis Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

ABSTRACT The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), like many environmental management programs, is faced with complex decisions about research and management. These decisions incorporate both qualitative and quantitative information, are often characterized by uncertainty, and usually involve multiple decision makers. A decision analysis system has been suggested to help the SFWMD make such complex decisions. Through a case study, this paper explores the potential of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a decision analysis tool. The AHP is applied to the selection by the SFWMD Research Department of a water quality model for blue-green algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee. The three models under consideration were Eutromod, Expert Elicitation (structured scientific judgment), and WASP4. In the case study of model selection, four respondents were interviewed using the AHP. Three of the four respondents chose WASP4 as the favored model; this was an unexpected result for two of the respondents. WASP...
Collaborative Course Development for Online Courses

Developing a course for online instruction requires content knowledge and understanding of the interactivity, technological requirements, and possibilities in the asynchronous environment. Using a case study method, the researchers investigated the development of an online humanities course by a team of faculty and instructional designers. Data were collected through observation of face-to-face planning meetings, document analysis of group postings at the online site, and interviews with the team members. Using Berge’s typology of online facilitator roles and Stark and Luttuca’s framework on academic plans, this study examined the roles assumed by team members and the curricular decisions.
LOFAR and Jupiter's radio (synchrotron) emissions

Abstract Jupiter's radio emissions at frequencies below 300 MHz have never been imaged at high spatial resolution. In this paper we discuss the role of LOFAR to image Jupiter's synchrotron radiation at low frequencies to study the low-energy, barely relativistic, electron population in the planet's radiation belts. Radio spectra of Jupiter's synchrotron radiation have revealed significant modifications over time at frequencies between ∼ 100 and 1000 MHz, suggestive of processes such as pitch angle scattering by plasma waves, Coulomb scattering and perhaps energy degradation by dust. With LOFAR we may begin investigating the cause of such variability through its imaging capabilities at frequencies ≲ 200 MHz at high angular resolution. In particular, quasi-simultaneous observations with LOFAR and higher frequency arrays, such as the Very Large Array (VLA), may provide the necessary data to identify the cause of such variability, which is tightly coupled to the origin and mode of transport (including source/loss terms) of the high-energy electrons in Jupiter's inner radiation belts.
An instrumentation system to measure user performance in interactive systems

Many software tools are interactive in nature and require a close match between the user's knowledge of how a task is to be performed and the capabilities the tool provides. This paper describes the current status of an instrumentation and analysis package to measure user performance in an interactive system. A prototype measurement system is considered to evaluate a screen editor and to develop models of user behavior.
A Black Dutchman and the Racial Discourse of the Dutch in America, 1850–1920

Following the American Civil War, a Dutch-American immigrant soldier returned to his home in Holland, Michigan, with a freed slave whom he had adopted. The adopted child, named Siras, was then raised in a Dutch immigrant household where he learned the Dutch language and the tenets of Dutch Calvinism. Although Siras was clearly well regarded by locals, he could not escape the racial stereotypes and prejudices of the Midwest and spent his entire adult life working as a hotel porter. Siras remained the only black man among the Dutch and a challenge for what it meant to be both Dutch and American. A micro-history of Siras, rooted in primary sources, sheds light on a larger discourse of Dutch-American ethnic and national identity. Dutch American immigrants of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries generally avoided contact with blacks, expressed implicit racial superiority, and defined themselves in reference to black as an ‘other’.
Translocation of the polychlorinated biphenyl Aroclor 1254 from soil into carrots under field conditions.

The extent and selectivity of transfer of the components of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclor 1254 from a sandy loam soil into carrots under field conditions were studied. Five of the gas chromatographic peaks of this PCB, designated 1, 4, 5, 8, and 10 with increasing retention time, were quantitated. After 23 months the concentration of peak 10 in soil remained unchanged, but peak 1 decreased by 34±3%. Lesser chlorinated peak 1 was translocated from soil into carrots five to eight times more than highly chlorinated peak 10. The residues (in ppm) of peaks 1 and 10 in carrot root were 30 to 50% and 3 to 4%, respectively, of that of the soil: The degree of translocation for PCBs was of the same order of magnitude as for the persistent organochlorine insecticides. Carrot foliage contained 1 to 6% as much of the PCB residues (in ppm) as the soil. Since peak 1 was present in about 2.5 times greater amount than peak 10 in foliage, whereas it was present in about five to nine times greater amount in roots, direct foliar contamination by soil dust is suggested.
ESTIMATION AND INTERPOLATION OF MISSING VALUES OF A STATIONARY TIME SERIES

Abstract. A complete solution of the important problem of estimating (interpolating) the missing values of a stationary time series is obtained by decomposing it into a prediction plus regression problem. This makes it possible to estimate the missing values by finding the multistep-ahead predictors and using the existing computer packages for time series analysis. Such a solution is vital for the E step of the EM algorithm, and it is shown how this algorithm can be used to develop a simultaneous procedure for estimating the parameters and missing values of a time series.
Impaired muscle oxygen use at onset of exercise in peripheral arterial disease

Objectives In patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), abnormal muscle metabolism and impaired oxygen delivery distal to the arterial occlusions may contribute to the exercise limitation observed in this population. Muscle tissue hemoglobin saturation (StO 2 ), measured with near-infrared spectroscopy, reflects the relative contributions of oxygen delivery and oxygen use. Thus differences in the kinetics of StO 2 in response to exercise may yield important insight into the potential mechanisms associated with the PAD exercise impairment. The purposes of this study were to characterize the muscle oxygenation responses in patients with PAD and in healthy control subjects at the onset of exercise, and to compare the kinetics of StO 2 desaturation. We hypothesized that at the onset of exercise the kinetics of StO 2 desaturation would be slowed in PAD compared with control responses. Material and methods Six patients with PAD and 6 healthy control subjects from a university center were examined in a prospective cross-sectional analysis that evaluated the desaturation kinetics of StO 2 at the onset of walking exercise. On separate visits subjects performed graded treadmill exercise and 3 constant work rate treadmill tests equivalent to ∼60% (low), ∼80% (medium), and 100% (peak) of their peak exercise work rate. Gastrocnemious muscle StO 2 response profiles (InSpectra tissue spectrometer) were measured at rest and across the rest to exercise transition. Muscle StO 2 responses were characterized by an exponential mathematical model. The end point value was taken as the time constant of StO 2 desaturation after onset of exercise (ie, equivalent to time to reach approximately 63% of StO 2 decrease). Results The patients with PAD and the control subjects were of similar age and activity level. The qualitative patterns of StO 2 responses at onset of exercise were also similar between patients and control subjects at all work rates. However, the kinetic time constants of StO 2 desaturation were prolonged in patients with PAD versus control subjects (averaged time constant across all work rates, 21.9 ± 9.4 seconds vs 4.9 ± 2.2 seconds; P Conclusions The slowed muscle StO 2 kinetics in PAD are consistent with an impairment in muscle oxygen use at the onset of walking exercise. Impaired muscle metabolism may contribute to the altered physiologic responses to exercise and to exercise impairment in patients with PAD.
Experimental study of a multi-impact energy harvester under low frequency excitations

The multi-impact energy harvester of the present study is a retrofitted piezoelectric based energy harvesting device that is designed especially for low frequency excitations. It consists of a spring–mass system and two piezoelectric cantilevers. By utilizing a series of impacts between the cantilevers and the moving mass, ambient vibrations of low frequencies can be up-converted into high frequency vibrations on the piezoelectric cantilevers and therefore generate usable electric energy. To examine the performance of the multi-impact harvester, a model is designed and machined for the experimental study. Sinusoidal vibrations and simulated bridge vibrations are used as the excitations for the harvester. A traditional cantilever piezoelectric harvester is also made for a performance comparison.
Anosov Flows on New Three Manifolds

Throughout this paper, Anosov flows ~t:M ~M are volume preserving (a nontrivial assumption in light of Franks and Williams' recent example), and their ambient manifolds M are compact, orientable and three dimensional. Our purpose is to present a simple construction that yields a family of C ~ smooth, nonalgebraic (definitions below) Anosov flows. The existence of a volume-preserving Anosov flow ~ on a given manifold M 3 has immediate corollaries. The stable and unstable foliations are codimension one and minimal. By reparameterizing �9 if necessary, the flows (called horocycle flows) generated by the strong stable and strong unstable foliations are also minimal. We therefore have the relations
MODEL‐ASSISTED HIGHER‐ORDER CALIBRATION OF ESTIMATORS OF VARIANCE

Summary In survey sampling, interest often centres on inference for the population total using information about an auxiliary variable. The variance of the estimator used plays a key role in such inference. This study develops a new set of higher-order constraints for the calibration of estimators of variance for various estimators of the population total. The proposed strategy requires an appropriate model for describing the relationship between the response and auxiliary variable, and the variance of the auxiliary variable. It is therefore referred to as a model-assisted approach. Several new estimators of variance, including the higher-order calibration estimators of the variance of the ratio and regression estimators suggested by Singh, Horn & Yu and Sitter & Wu are special cases of the proposed technique. The paper presents and discusses the results of an empirical study to compare the performance of the proposed estimators and existing counterparts.
Kupffer cell regulation of fibrinogen synthesis in hepatocytes

Isolated rat liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) produce a factor(s) which stimulates fibrinogen synthesis 5-8 fold in hepatocyte cultures. The production of the stimulatory factor reached maximum during the first 24 hours the cells were in culture. When the cell culture medium was chromatographed on a calibrated Sephadex G-75 column the major activity peak eluted in the size range of 25,000-30,000 daltons. Taken together these results demonstrate that in addition to their well known phagocytic function, Kupffer cells secrete factor(s) that can significantly increase fibrinogen synthesis.