cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomly diluted xy and resistor networks near the percolation threshold.

A formulation based on that of Stephen for randomly diluted systems near the percolation threshold is analyzed in detail. By careful consideration of various limiting procedures, a treatment of xy spin models and resistor networks is given which shows that previous calculations (which indicate that these systems having continuous symmetry have the same crossover exponents as the Ising model) are in error. By studying the limit wherein the energy gap goes to zero, we exhibit the mathematical mechanism which leads to qualitatively different results for xy-like as contrasted to Ising-like systems. A distinctive feature of the results is that there is an infinite sequence of crossover exponents needed to completely describe the probability distribution for R(x,x'), the resistance between sites x and x'. Because of the difference in symmetry between the xy model and the resistor network, the former has an infinite sequence of crossover exponents in addition to those of the resistor network. The first crossover exponent ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{1}$=1+\ensuremath{\epsilon}/42 governs the scaling behavior of R(x,x') with \ensuremath{\Vert}x-x'\ensuremath{\Vert}\ensuremath{\equiv}r: [R(x,x'${)]}_{c}$\ensuremath{\sim}${\mathrm{x}}^{{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{1}/\ensuremath{\nu}}$, where [ ${]}_{c}$ indicates a conditional average, subject to x and x' being in the same cluster, \ensuremath{\nu} is the correlation length exponent for percolation, and \ensuremath{\epsilon}=6-d, where d is the spatial dimensionality.We give a detailed analysis of the scaling properties of the bulk conductivity and the anomalous diffusion constant introduced by Gefen et al. Our results show conclusively that the Alexander-Orbach conjecture, while numerically quite accurate, is not exact, at least in high spatial dimension. We also evaluate various amplitude ratios associated with susceptibilities, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{n}$ involving the nth power of the resistance R(x,x'), e.g., ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}_{2}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}_{0}$/${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}_{1}^{2}$=2[1+(19\ensuremath{\epsilon}/420)]. In an appendix we outline how the calculation can be extended to treat the diluted m-component spin model for m2. As expected, the results for ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{1}$ remain valid for m2. The techniques described here have led to several recent calculations of various infinite families of exponents.
COMPARISON OF A MINIMALIST APPROACH TRANSFEMORAL TAVR WITH STANDARD APPROACH TRANSFEMORAL TAVR IN A US CENTER

As transfemoral (TF) TAVR experience increases, specialized centers may consider performing TF TAVR without general anesthesia, TEE, or a surgical hybrid room. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our outcomes with a minimalist approach TF TAVR (MA-TF) compared with current standard approach (
Strain determination from the measurement of pebble shapes: A modification

Abstract A previously described method of combining measurements of numerous pebble cross-sections in three orthogonal planes into a single average ellipsoid was found to be in need of improvement. The method of reconciling redundancies and of distributing the errors can be left unchanged. The original measurements of principal half-axes, however, rather than being normalized as the ratios of larger half-axes divided by the smaller, should be normalized so that they produce ellipses of standard area. The coefficients of ellipses so normalized will produce distributions with a pronounced central tendency even in those cases that produce markedly skewed distributions of coefficients for ellipses normalized by the former method. Equations of the previous paper that must be amended are given in their new form.
Survival and Differential Development of Entomophaga maimaiga and Entomophaga aulicae (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) in Lymantria dispar Hemolymph

The closely related entomophthoralean fungi Entomophaga aulicae and E. maimaiga are both host-specific pathogens of lepidopteran larvae. However, these fungi do not have the same host range. The first objective of this study was to compare the fate of E. aulicae in the nonpermissive host Lymantria dispar with the fate of the successful pathogen E. maimaiga over the same time period. In the hemolymph of L. dispar injected with E. maimaiga protoplasts, the number of hemocytes demonstrated a decreasing trend after the first day postinjection and hemocytes completely disappeared by day 5, with the majority of larvae dying in 5.6 ± 0.1 days. In L. dispar larvae, E. maimaiga infections developed successfully, evidenced by increasing numbers of protoplasts and hyphal bodies prior to host mortality. In contrast, at day 5 hemocytes were readily visible in hemolymph of E. aulicae-injected larvae, but E. aulicae cells did not increase in numbers, although persisting in the hemolymph for at least 16 days postinjection. For both fungal species, when hemolymph samples from injected insects were introduced to culture media viable fungal cultures were always produced. Both E. aulicae and E. maimaiga occurred in hemolymph initially after injection as protoplasts. For E. maimaiga, after day 3, <50% of fungal cells were hyphal bodies until insect death when most cells regenerated cell walls. For E. aulicae, from day 2 equal numbers of fungal cells in the hemolymph occurred as protoplasts and hyphal bodies. To investigate the cause of fungistasis in E. aulicae-injected larvae, E. aulicae cell cultures exposed to partially purified protein fractions from hemolymph of larvae infected with either fungus displayed increased lysis and decreased viability at lower concentrations of protein fractions compared with E. maimaiga cell cultures. These studies demonstrate that E. aulicae does not increase in L. dispar hemolymph, although it persists and results suggest that proteinaceous factors induced within the hemolymph may limit the capacity of E. aulicae to develop successful infections.
Interrelationships of Microorganisms in Cream. III. Candida pseudotropicalis, Aerobacter aerogenes, and Streptococcus lactis

Summary 1.Candida pseudotropicalis and Aerobacter aerogenes, individually and in combination with Streptococcus lactis, were inoculated into sterile cream and incubated at 10°, 20°, and 30° C. for 10 days or until the cream was no longer of acceptable commercial quality, whichever occurred first. 2.Neither of the organisms, individually or in combination with S. lactis, produced as much as 400mg. of W.I.A. per 100g. of fat. 3.C. pseudotropicalis, alone or in combination with S. lactis, and A. aerogenes alone caused negligible increases in free tryptophan. The combination of A. aerogenes and S. lactis produced 32 p.p.m. of free tryptophan in 3 days at 20° C. and 15 p.p.m. in 1 day at 30° C. 4.At 20° C. the combination of S. lactis with C. pseudotropicalis diminished the rate of increase and maximum C. pseudotropicalis population attained. The presence of A. aerogenes caused a reduction in the rate of increase and maximum population attained by S. lactis. 5.At 20° and 30° C., addition of S. lactis did not alter the rate of organoleptically determined deterioration caused by C. pseudotropicalis, but at 10° C. the presence of S. lactis extended the commercial life of cream containing C. pseudotropicalis. Deterioration in organoleptic quality appeared to be more closely related to increases in organism populations than to chemical factors studied.
Distributed network monitoring and multicommodity flows: a primal-dual approach

A canonical distributed optimization problem is solving a Covering/Packing Linear Program in a distributed environment with fast convergence and low communication and space overheads. In this paper, we consider the following covering and packing problems, which are the dual of each other: • Passive Commodity Monitoring: minimize the total cost of monitoring devices used to measure the network traffic on all paths.• Maximum Throughput Multicommodity flow: maximize the total value of the flow with bounded edge capacities..We present the first known distributed algorithms for both of these problems that converge to (1+e)-approximate solutions in poly-logarithmic time with communication and space overheads that depend on the maximal path length but are almost independent of the size of the entire network. Previous distributed solutions achieving similar approximations required convergence time, communication, or space overheads that depend polynomially on the size of the entire network. The sequential simulation of our algorithm is more efficient than the fastest known approximation algorithms for multicommodity flows, e.g., Garg-Konemann [14], when the maximal path length is small.
Glacial-Lake Outburst Erosion of the Grand Valley, Michigan, and Impacts on Glacial Lakes in the Lake Michigan Basin

Geomorphic and sedimentologic evidence in the Grand Valley, which drained the retreating Saginaw Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and later acted as a spillway between lakes in the Huron and Erie basins and in the Michigan basin, suggests that at least one drainage event from glacial Lake Saginaw to glacial Lake Chicago was a catastrophic outburst that deeply incised the valley. Analysis of shoreline and outlet geomorphology at the Chicago outlet supports J H Bretz's hypothesis of episodic incision and lake-level change. Shoreline features of each lake level converge to separate outlet sills that decrease in elevation from the oldest to youngest lake phases. This evidence, coupled with the presence of boulder lags and other features consistent with outburst origin, suggests that the outlets were deepened by catastrophic outbursts at least twice. The first incision event is correlated with a linked series of floods that progressed from Huron and Erie basin lakes to glacial Lake Saginaw to glacial Lake Chicago and then to the Mississippi. The second downcutting event occurred after the Two Rivers Advance of the Lake Michigan Lobe. Outbursts from the eastern outlets of glacial Lake Agassiz to glacial Lake Algonquin are a possible cause for this period of downcutting at the Chicago outlets.
Sulfide control of cadmium and copper concentrations in anaerobic estuarine sediments

Abstract Equilibrium concentrations of the toxic trace metals copper and cadmium were calculated for the physico-chemical conditions characterizing pore waters of anaerobic estuarine sediments using available thermodynamic data and assuming simple sulfide minerals control solubilities. Polysulfide complexes are responsible for the solubility of copper in the cuprous (Cu(I)) oxidation state. Predicated copper concentrations, assuming covellite (CuS) is the controlling solid phase, are in reasonable agreement with copper analyses in a wide range of sulfidic waters and sediment pore waters. In the absence of thermodynamic data, no account could be taken of possible polysulfide complexes of cadmium. However, bisulfide complexes appear to account satisfactorily for observed solubilities assuming the existence of greenockite (CdS) as the controlling solid phase. Anaerobic estuarine sediments may act as a sink for copper and cadmium in the common situation in which free sulfide concentrations are controlled by the coexistence of iron sulfide and iron oxide minerals. However, where free sulfides reach high concentrations of 10−3 M or more, the concomitant increase in concentration of bisulfide and polysulfide complexes may result in the sediments acting as a source of copper and cadmium.
Vitamin A status of children as determined by dark adaptation

Summary The purpose of this investigation was to determine the frequency with which vitamin A deficiency is encountered in children. In view of the fact that vitamin A deficiency brings about an elevation in the final rod threshold, i.e., the minimum intensity of light observed by the subject after complete dark adaptation, we made use of the final rod threshold level as a criterion of vitamin A deficiency. Accordingly, the final rod threshold was determined in 144 children ranging in age from 6 to 12 years. Sixteen of these children were private patients, whereas the remainder were observed either in the wards or in the Outpatient Department at Bellevue Hospital. Forty-two children had rheumatic fever, fourteen had pneumonia, six had active tuberculosis, and the remainder were suffering from one of the following conditions: upper respiratory infection, lung abscess, bronchiectasis, Hodgkin's disease, diabetes, renal calculus, malformation of the ureter, malnutrition, sickle cell anemia, dysentery, hemophilia, vaginitis, and asthma. Dark adaptation tests revealed normal threshold values in all but one instance. The sole exception was in a child who, because of abdominal pain, had been placed on a rigorous diet which was low in vitamin A. Administration of 120,000 units of vitamin A in the form of percomorph-liver oil brought about a fall of the threshold to a normal value in thirty-five minutes. The effect of this enormous dose lasted twenty days, at the end of which time the threshold again reached an abnormally high level. The provitamin, carotene (120,000 units) was then given, and a prompt response was again noted, the threshold returning to normal in thirty-two minutes. This child was then placed on a regular diet, and repeated tests over a period of several months have revealed normal values. The results of this investigation indicate that vitamin A deficiency, as judged by dark adaptation, is an uncommon disorder in children in New York City.
Chromosome Segregation: Spindle Mechanics Come To Life

Chromosome segregation is a mechanical process, and the spindle generates, and is subject to, mechanical force. A recent study probes how the mechanical architecture of the spindle allows it to maintain mechanical integrity despite these forces.
Light and mirror: Two mystic metaphors of mind

(1974). Light and mirror: Two mystic metaphors of mind. The Philosophy Forum: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 145-160.
Gender differences in insulin-induced free fatty acid suppression: Studies in an african american population

This study of African Americans (AA) was designed to investigate gender differences in insulin-induced free fatty acid (FFA) suppression. Sixty AA (34 women, mean age 34±7.6 years, and 26 men, mean age 30±2.9 years) participated. All subjects had an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Nineteen women and 18 men also underwent a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (IC) study. Plasma insulin and FFA concentrations were obtained during both test at 0, 60, and 120 min. While there was no gender difference in body mass index (P=0.21), women had greater percent body fat (P<0.001) calculated by the Siri formula. There was no gender difference in fasting FFA levels, but during the OGTT, women compared to men had significantly greater FFA suppression. Both nonobese and obese women suppressed FFA concentration by 88%, and nonobese and obese men suppressed, FFA concentration by 80 and 66%, respectively. This gender difference in FFA suppression was significant (P=0.001) and independent of obesity and insulin concentration. During the IC studies, there were no gender or obesity differences in FFA suppression, with women and men suppressing FFA levels by 87–89% (P=0.7). Fasting insulin concentrations were higher in obese vs. nonobese (P=0.03), but fasting FFA concentrations were not different (P=0.15). For nonobese and obese, females, fasting FFA levels were 0.55±0.24 and 0.44±0.26 mEq/L, respectively, and for nonobese and obese males, 0.45±0.2 and 0.35±0.18 mEq/L, respectively. In women, development of obesity may be enhanced by greater sensitivity to insulin-induced FFA suppression as measured during an OGTT. To detect gender differences in FFA metabolism, the OGTT is superior to the IC. The lack of elevation in fasting FFA levels in obese AA women and men has not been reported in other racial groups and may indicate a greater adipocyte sensitivity to insulin in AA.
Bivalve cartilage inlay myringoplasty: an office-based procedure for closing small to medium-sized tympanic membrane perforations.

Objective To determine whether bivalve inlay cartilage-perichondrium myringoplasty (BCM) is successful in closing tympanic membrane perforations in an office setting. Study Design Retrospective case review. Subjects and Methods Adult patients with chronic perforations underwent BCM under local and topical anesthesia. Success was defined as complete closure of perforation at follow-up of at least 1 month. Predictors of success were identified by comparing the success and failure groups on pre- and postoperative pure tone average (PTA), patient demographics (age, gender), and characteristics of the perforations (size, location, duration, etiology). Results A total of 145 procedures were performed and the patients were followed for 1 to 78 months. The success rate for perforations smaller than 4 mm was 75 percent. Size of the perforation, and pre- and postoperative PTAs were significantly different between the two groups. The only significant predictors of success were preoperative PTA and size of perforation. Conclusions BCM is a viable option for closure of small and medium-sized perforations in an office setting.
Deconstructing a Tower of Babel: Privatisation, decentralisation and devolution as ideas in good currency in cultural policy

Privatisation, decentralisation and devolution are three ideas in good currency that have permeated the debate on cultural policy over the past fifteen years. They are typically used as if there were a broad consensus as to their meanings and implications, but, in fact, these three words stand in for a much more complicated set of views and understandings of appropriate directions to take in cultural policy. This article considers the various motivations for each of these interrelated ideas and demonstrates that a precise and nuanced knowledge of policy intent is critical to understanding their implications for policy. Whatever words are used to describe a particular place's cultural policy, if the intent of that policy is concealed, intentionally or unintentionally, in a vocabulary whose implications are neither clearly spelled out nor fully appreciated, it will be impossible to know exactly what is to be done and how it is to be judged.
C/EBPα: a critical regulator of genes governing integrative metabolic processes

The role of C/EBPalpha in the developmental expression of a subset of genes governing essential metabolic processes has recently been elucidated using a mutant mouse model that lacks this transcription factor. The mutation results in a failure of the liver and white and brown adipose tissue to develop normal metabolic functions in the immediate perinatal period, including hepatic glycogen synthesis and gluconeogenesis and the synthesis and deposition of triglyceride in adipose tissue. The metabolic alterations are very similar to those of human infants born prior to the third trimester and suggest that many of the medical complications of prematurity are a result of the lack of activation of C/EBPalpha in development.
Studies of the electron-transfer system LXIV. Role of phospholipid in cytochrome oxidase

Summary By refractionation of cytochrome oxidase (cytochrome c:O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.9.3.1) in high concentrations of cholate it is possible to remove up to 85% of the original enzyme-bound phospholipid. The phospholipid-deficient preparations of cytochrome oxidase have all the spectral properties of the native enzyme but very low enzymic activity. Over 90% of the activity can be restored with whole mitochondrial phospholipid extracts. Two lines of evidence indicate that phospholipid is required for the interaction of cytochrome c with cytochrome oxidase: (1) binding of cytochrome c by cytochrome oxidase is dependent on phospholipid; (2) the reaction of cytochrome c with cytochrome oxidase is proportional to the concentration of phospholipid in the enzyme.
Magnetoresistance and field-induced structural transitions in Ni50Mn50−xSnx Heusler alloys

Abstract Large magnetoresistance effects were observed in Ni50Mn50−xSnx Heusler alloys for concentrations 13⩽x⩽16. The effects occur at the respective martensitic transition temperatures (TM), which can be tuned in temperature through variations in Sn concentration. The largest observed values of the magnetoresistance (Δρ/ρo) were −42% for x=14 at T≈250 K, and −23% above room temperature (T≈320 K) for the sample with x=13, where the magnetic field change was ΔH=5 T. Magnetization and X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that the origin of the observed magnetoresistance is a magnetically induced magnetostructural transition from a complex 10 M modulated orthorhombic phase containing some antiferromagnetic coupling to a ferromagnetic cubic L21 structure.
Value of sequential MRI in preterm infants

Since the introduction of neonatal intensive care in the 1970s, there has been a pronounced decrease in overall mortality of premature infants as well as a decrease in the incidence of severe white matter injury, best known as cystic periventricular leukomalacia (c-PVL).(1) While cranial ultrasonography readily visualizes large lesions in the white matter (periventricular hemorrhagic infarction and c-PVL), this technique is not sufficiently sensitive to recognize the much more common and less severe noncystic white matter lesions.(2) The absolute number of extremely preterm infants is increasing because of improved survival rates.(e1.)
The application of contraction theory to an iterative formulation of electromagnetic scattering

Contraction theory is applied to an iterative formulation of electromagnetic scattering from periodic structures and a computational method for insuring convergence is developed. A short history of spectral (or k -space) formulation is presented with an emphasis on application to periodic surfaces. To insure a convergent solution of the iterative equation, a process called the contraction corrector method is developed. Convergence properties of previously presented iterative solutions to one-dimensional problems are examined utilizing contraction theory and the general conditions for achieving a convergent solution are explored. The contraction corrector method is then applied to several scattering problems including an infinite grating of thin wires with the solution data compared to previous works.
Large-scale numerical simulation of reduced-pitch HgCdTe infrared detector arrays

Numerical simulations play an important role in the development of large-format infrared detector array tech- nologies, especially when considering devices whose sizes are comparable to the wavelength of the radiation they are detecting. Computational models can be used to predict the optical and electrical response of such devices and evaluate designs prior to fabrication. We have developed a simulation framework which solves Maxwell’s equations to determine the electromagnetic properties of a detector and subsequently uses a drift-diffusion ap- proach to asses the electrical response. We apply these techniques to gauge the effects of cathode placement on the inter- and intra-pixel attributes of compositionally graded and constant Hg1−xCdxTe mid-wavelength infrared detectors. In particular, the quantum efficiency, nearest-neighbor crosstalk, and modulation transfer function are evaluated for several device architectures.
Social Mobility and Participation: The Dissociative and Socialization Hypotheses*

Information on participation with kin, with friends, and in voluntary associations was used to test two competing hypothescs of the effects of social mobility on social relations. The dissociative ...
A missed opportunity for care: two-visit IUD insertion protocols inhibit placement.

Abstract Background The intrauterine device (IUD) is a safe, long-acting, highly effective method of birth control. Two-visit protocols for IUD insertion may represent a barrier to IUD uptake. Study Design This study is a retrospective database review. We identified Medicaid-insured women who requested IUDs in our urban university-based clinic, which employed a two-visit protocol for IUD insertion. The number of women who returned for IUD insertion was determined. To compare women who underwent insertion to those who did not, bivariate and multivariable analyses were used. Results Of the 708 women who requested IUDs at the initial visit, only 385 had an IUD inserted (54.4%). Single women were less likely to return for IUD placement compared to women who had ever been married (52.4% vs. 70.3%; p 10 miles away from the clinic were less likely to return for IUD insertion than women who lived Conclusions Almost half of women who ordered IUDs did not return for insertion, suggesting that two-visit protocols hinder a woman's ability to have an IUD placed. We must eliminate barriers to IUD insertion.
Viral-Mediated Gene Transfer to Study the Molecular Physiology of the Mammalian Inner Ear

Several classes of viral vectors including adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, herpes simplex virus, lentivirus and vaccinia virus have been reported to infect cells of the inner ears of mammals and may be useful for protein manipulation and therapeutic purposes. We have screened a few of these for use as vectors to mediate gene transfer into the sensory hair cells of organotypic cultures from the neonatal mouse cochlea and utricle. Recombinant, replication-deficient adenovirus has emerged as a useful vector for several reasons: ease of vector generation at high titer; efficient hair cell specific infection; robust expression of reporter genes and minimal toxicity. Previously, we characterized adenovirus infected hair cells using a vector that carried the gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP). We screened GFP-positive cells electrophysiologically and found that although hair cells survive adenoviral vector infection, their mechanosensitivity was compromised. Until recently this has limited the scope of adenovirus application to the problems of inner ear physiology and pathophysiology. However, a modified adenoviral vector, now available, has been reported to have reduced ototoxicity in vivo. The modifications include the deletion of the adenoviral genes E1, E3, the viral polymerase, and the preterminal protein. We are currently working to characterize viral-mediated gene transfer into hair cells of the cultured mouse utricle using this new modified adenoviral vector. We have found that hair cells infected with the modified vector have intact hair bundles and robust mechanotransduction.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Hospital Labs Studying Patient Safety Consortium and Error Reduction

Definition of Anatomic Pathology Testing Error Patient safety researchers and practitioners are not agreed on the definition of medical error.22,23 The IOM definition is that a medical error is the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim.3 Some have argued that this definition of error is too broad and classifies events as errors when in fact they may have occurred naturally in the course of normal medical care. For example, patient safety researchers disagree on the classification of a patient death immediately attributable to The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Hospital Labs Studying Patient Safety Consortium and Error Reduction Stephen S. Raab, MD,1 Dana M. Grzybicki, MD, PhD,1 Janine E. Janosky, PhD,2 Richard J. Zarbo, MD, DMD,3 Kim R. Geisinger, MD,4 Frederick A. Meier, MD,3 Chris Jensen, MD,5 Eva M. Wojcik, MD,6 Marian Haber, MD,7 and Stanley J. Geyer, MD8*
Labile sex differences in long calling in cotton-top tamarins

Sex differences in behavior are quite common among nonhuman primates. In sexually monomorphic species, sex differences might be expected to be less evident than in polygynous and highly dimorphic species. Callitrichid primates (marmosets and tamarins) are cooperative breeders that exhibit little sexual size dimorphism. However, several sex differences in the structure and usage of vocalizations have been reported. In one such study, McConnell and Snowdon [Behaviour 97:273–296, 1986] reported that female cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) emitted significantly more normal long calls than males during simulated intergroup encounters. In the course of collecting a library of normal long calls, we replicated a portion of that study 20 years later with the same colony and similar methods. To our surprise we found a reversal of sex differences. In the same experimental situation, males gave significantly more normal long calls than females. In a further replication 2 years later, males still called more but the effect was less pronounced. The dramatic change in sex differences within the same species and colony over a 22-year period suggests that behavioral sex differences in callitrichids may be quite labile, and that repeated sampling over several years may be necessary to establish true sex differences. Am. J. Primatol. 68:153–160, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Full circle to cobbled brain

A biochemical link between certain congenital muscular dystrophies and the associated brain malformation known as cobblestone lissencephaly has been elusive. But it looks as if that link has been found.
Repetition and associative learning

A modification of the Rock type experiment was executed with the expectation that the modifications would produce results at odds with those obtained by Rock. Controls for item selection effects were introduced, and Ss were not discarded for failure to meet criterion. Somewhat different methods of data analysis indicate that Ss learn less rapidly with error replacement (the Rock procedure) than do Ss learning under normal conditions, i.e., with repetition.
Novel Route to Faster Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic imaging microscopy couples a focal plane array (FPA) detector, integrated within an infrared microscope assembly, to an interferometer for attaining a multiplex/multichannel signal detection advantage. While this configuration should enable the acquisition of spatially resolved spectra over the entire field of view of a sample in the time that it takes a conventional FT-IR spectrometer to record a single spectrum, data acquisition in an imaging modality is an intrinsically slower process. We present a novel collection technique for step-scan, micro-imaging spectrometers that both allows large numbers of samples to be imaged rapidly and provides higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for given experimental time intervals. For example, data may be collected in as little as one minute, while SNRs greater than 800 are achieved for data acquired in less than 10 min. Imaging data acquired in the proposed, more rapid approach exhibit no loss in fidelity compared to data recorded by the conventional imaging techniques.
π Delocalization in iridathiabenzenes

Abstract Fenske–Hall calculations were carried out for (PEt3)3Ir(C7H9) (1), [(PEt3)3Ir(C6H8S)]+ (2), [(S-t-but)(PEt3)2]Ir(C6H8S) (3), and [(S-t-but)(PMet3)3]Ir(C6H8S) (4) in order to compare the degree of π delocalization in the metallathiacycle rings of (2) and (3). In comparison to (1), a true iridabenzene and (4), an iridathiacyclobutadiene, the π ring systems in (2) and (3) are considerably more localized than the π system in (1) but are not totally localized. Strong metal–sulfur bonding in (2) disrupts the π ring system and results in some localization of the ring π bonds. The introduction of the donor thiolate ligand in (3) disrupts the ring of π system even more by destabilizing the metal orbitals used for metal–sulfur interactions. This weakens the metal–sulfur interaction seen in (2) and leads to even more localization of the ring π system in (3).
Influence of environmental conditions on late-summer cyanobacterial abundance in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

The relationships among environmental conditions and phytoplankton assemblages were characterized during late summer (2003-2005) in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Differences among sampling stations, arising primarily from spatial disparities in water-column optical properties and nutrient availability, were evident. Cyanobacteria and diatoms dominated phytoplankton assemblages, with the greatest total chlorophyll a concentrations occurring at the innermost portions of the Bay. Microcystis abundance was greatest in the Bay's upper reaches and decreased with increasing distance from the mouth of the Saginaw River. A suite of variables, indicative of annually-distinct meteorological and hydrological conditions and phosphorus-laden inflows, were identified to (collectively) best ‘group’ stations in a manner consistent with that of phylogenetic-group chlorophyll a concentrations and cyanobacterial biovolumes. However, a great deal of variability between abiotic and biotic patterns remained unexplained and several a...
The Role of Probation Officers in Determining Gender Differences in Sentencing Severity

This study examines the relationship between gender and sentencing severity in the criminal justice system. Analysis focuses (1) on the extent to which gender influences sentencing and (2) on the p...
What makes tropomyosin an actin binding protein? A perspective.

Abstract Tropomyosin is a two-chained α-helical coiled coil that binds along the length of the actin filament and regulates its function. The paper addresses the question of how a “simple” coiled-coil sequence encodes the information for binding and regulating the actin filament, its universal target. Determination of the tropomyosin sequence confirmed Crick’s predicted heptapeptide repeat of hydrophobic interface residues and revealed additional features that have been shown to be important for its function: a 7-fold periodicity predicted to correspond to actin binding sites and interruptions of the canonical interface with destabilizing residues, such as Ala. Evidence from published work is summarized, leading to the proposal of a paradigm that binding of tropomyosin to the actin filament requires local instability as well as regions of flexibility. The flexibility derives from bends and local unfolding at regions with a destabilized coiled-coil interface, as well as from the dynamic end-to-end complex. The features are required for tropomyosin to assume the form of the helical actin filament, and to bind to actin monomers along its length. The requirement of instability/flexibility for binding may be generalized to the binding of other coiled coils to their targets.
Sensitization of skin mast cells with IgE antibodies to Culicoides allergens occurs frequently in clinically healthy horses

IgE antibodies are mediators of mast cell degranulation during allergic diseases. The binding of IgE to its high-affinity IgE receptor on mast cell surfaces is called "sensitization" and precedes the development of clinical allergy. Previously, intradermal injection of anti-IgE or the anti-IgG(T) antibody CVS40 induced immediate skin reactions in horses. This suggested that both IgE and IgG(T) sensitize equine skin mast cells. Here, we investigated sensitization to allergen and with IgE or IgG(T) in clinically healthy horses of different age groups. In addition, immediate skin reactions to Culicoides were determined by intradermal testing in non-allergic horses. A total of 14% of the young horses 1-3 years old and 38% of the adult animals showed skin reaction to Culicoides allergen extract. Sensitization with IgE and IgG(T) was evaluated in skin mast cells and peripheral blood basophils to determine whether sensitization with IgG(T) preceded that with IgE in young horses. Anti-IgE stimulated immediate skin reactions in 18 of 21 young horses, but only 7 of them reacted to the anti-IgG(T) antibody CVS40. The equine IgG(T) fraction is composed of IgG3 and IgG5. We used several newly developed monoclonal antibodies to IgG3 and IgG5 for intradermal testing to improve our understanding about the mast cell reaction induced by the anti-IgG(T) antibody CVS40. None of these antibodies induced a skin reaction in young or adult horses. To determine sensitization with IgE in neonates and foals at 6 and 12 weeks of age an in vitro histamine release assay was performed using peripheral blood cells. The histamine concentration released by anti-IgE stimulation from foal basophils increased between birth and 12 weeks of age, while almost no histamine release was observed after anti-IgG(T) treatment of the cells. In summary, IgE was the major immunoglobulin involved in the sensitization of mast cells and basophils in horses at various ages. IgG(T) antibodies did not play a major role in the activation of mast cells or basophils in young horses and their role in the sensitization of adult horses remains unclear. Sensitization to Culicoides allergen in the absence of clinical disease was frequently found in horses of all age groups. Because many clinically healthy horses developed skin reactions to this allergen, sensitization results are useful to diagnose Culicoides-induced allergy only in horses with allergic conditions.
SSU1 mediates sulphite efflux in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ssu1p, a plasma membrane protein involved in sulphite metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was found to be required for efficient sulphite efflux. An SSU1 null mutant accumulated significantly more sulphite than wild-type, whereas cells expressing multicopy SSU1 accumulated significantly less. Cells expressing FZF1-4, a dominant allele of a transcriptional activator of SSU1 that confers sulphite resistance, also accumulated less sulphite. beta-galactosidase activity in the FZF1-4 strain carrying an SSU1::lacZ fusion was found to be 8.5-fold higher than in a strain carrying wild-type FZF1, confirming that the heightened resistance was correlated with hyperactivation of SSU1. Multicopy SSU1 was also found to increase the sulphite resistance of a number of unrelated sulphite-sensitive strains by a factor of 3- to 8-fold. Rates of efflux of free sulphite from cells expressing multicopy SSU1 or FZF1-4 were significantly greater than that from wild-type or from a SSU1 null mutant. Rates of efflux of bound sulphite from wild-type, a SSU1 null mutant, a FZF1-4 mutant, or cells expressing multicopy SSU1 were not significantly different, suggesting that Ssu1p specifically mediates efflux of the free form of sulphite.
Adsorption kinetics and reversibility of linear plasmid DNA on silica surfaces: influence of alkaline earth and transition metal ions.

A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring is used to study the adsorption of linear plasmid DNA on silica surfaces and silica surfaces coated with poly-l-lysine (PLL) in solutions containing either alkaline earth (calcium and magnesium) or transition (cobalt, copper, and zinc) metals. Our results show that electrostatic attraction alone does not fully explain the significantly higher adsorption rate of DNA on the positively charged PLL layer in Cu2+ solution compared to solutions containing Ca2+, Mg2+, Co2+, or Zn2+. Diffusion coefficients measured by dynamic light scattering reveal that the compactness of plasmid DNA molecules is greater in solutions containing Cu2+ compared to that of DNA in other divalent electrolyte solutions. When the adsorption rate of plasmid DNA on silica is normalized to the corresponding adsorption rate on PLL-coated surfaces at the same solution condition, the attachment (adsorption) efficiencies are about 0.01 for Ca2+ or Mg2, but close to unity for Co2+, Cu2+,...
An experimental evaluation of the on-state performance of trench IGBT designs

Abstract The on-state performance of non-self aligned and self aligned trench IGBT designs is experimentally evaluated and compared for the first time in this paper. In contrast to previous reports based only on numerical simulations, experimental results presented in this paper demonstrate that the non-self aligned trench IGBT designs are superior to the self-aligned trench IGBT designs. Furthermore, the variation in the on-state voltage drop with the unit cell parameters of the non-self trench IGBT obtained through numerical simulations show trends that are opposite to those observed experimentally. Our analysis indicates that the disagreement between the experimental and numerical simulation results arises due to the assumption of an ideal ohmic contact to the N + emitter of the TIGBT designs made in previous numerical simulations.
Generalized sufficiency criteria in continuous-time programming with application to a class of variational-type inequalities

Abstract In this paper, we establish a number of sufficiency criteria under generalized ϱ − (η, θ)-invexity conditions for general continuous-time programming problems with nonlinear operator equality and inequality constraints. As an application of these results, we establish some existence criteria for solutions of a class of variational type inequalities.
Echocardiography in Percutaneous Mitral Valve Interventions

Transcatheter therapies have emerged as an important treatment for patients with native mitral regurgitation and prosthetic valve paravalvular regurgitation. Echocardiography is critical to the success of these procedures. Echocardiographic guidance plays a central role in patient selection, procedural guidance, and post-procedure surveillance. Successful imaging support requires an understanding of the procedural technique, optimal views at different points in the procedure, and common pitfalls. Standardization of imaging protocols can help achieve optimal support during the procedure. New echocardiographic technologies, such as real-time 3D imaging, have enhanced the ability to provide guidance for these procedures. As percutaneous therapies for mitral valve disease continue to become more prevalent, echocardiography will continue to be a key modality for imaging guidance for these procedures.
Clinical symptoms and comorbidity: significance for the prognostic classification of cancer

BACKGROUND. In 1992, the Cancer Registries Amendment Act allotted 30 million dollars annually for five years to establish a national program of cancer registries. Because the cornerstone of cancer staging is the Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) system, this article is devoted to a brief history of the system, to important concepts of clinical biology that should be included in classification systems for cancer, and to sources and potential solutions for current problems. METHODS. A qualitative review of published literature on cancer staging, prognosis, and treatment effectiveness was performed, notes from previous American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) meetings were reviewed, and a discussion with a former AJCC member was completed. RESULTS. Despite an excellent description of a tumor's size and extent of anatomic spread, the TNM system does not alone account for the cancer's clinical biology which is manifested by both the structural form of a tumor and its physiological function in a patient. Important prognostic information can be determined by a patient's symptoms, which reflect some of a tumor's biologic behavior, and by comorbidity that is not a feature of the cancer itself. Five reasons were identified for the adherence to a strictly morphologic staging system. CONCLUSIONS. Widespread use of the TNM system during the past 30 years has unquestionably helped to standardize the classification of cancer and to improve prognostic estimates. Nevertheless, the estimates remain relatively imprecise, impairing the evaluation of treatment effectiveness. A prime scientific challenge in current cancer staging is to incorporate the omitted patient-based variables to produce an improved clinical system of classification. Cancer 1996;77:834-42.
Organizing evolution: founding the Society for the Study of Evolution (1939-1950).

L'A. se concentre sur les caracteristiques de la synthese de l'evolution et son institutionnalisation par la fondation de la societe pour l'etude de l'evolution
The test–retest reliability of measures used in cigarette smoking research.

The test-retest reliability of three measures used in cigarette smoking research was assessed over a two week period. In terms of either shifts in the mean from time 1 to time 2, or a low correlation between time 1 and time 2, or a change in internal consistency from time 1 to time 2, none of the measures was considered adequately reliable.
An effective method to extract DNA from environmental samples for polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA fingerprint analysis

A rapid direct-extraction method was used to obtain DNA from environmental soil samples. Heat, enzymes, and guanidine isothiocyanate were utilized to lyse cells. The DNA was purified by agarose gel electrophoresis, amplified with 16S rRNA-based primers by use of the polymerase chain reaction, and then digested with the restriction endonuclease PalI. The extraction method was used to obtain DNA from a variety of plants, bacteria, and fungi including Gossypium hirsucum (cotton), Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Streptomyces, and Colletotrichum. Up to 100 micrograms DNA/g (wet weight) of soil and 400 micrograms DNA/g of plant material were recovered. Restriction endonuclease analysis patterns of amplified rDNA from pure microbial cultures and plant species contained three to five different DNA fragments. Amplified rDNA of mixed population DNA extracts from soil samples, digested with the restriction endonuclease PalI, contained 12-20 DNA fragments, appearing as sample "fingerprints." Results from eight environmental soil samples that were analyzed suggest that the amplified rDNA fingerprints can be used to help characterize the genetic and biological diversity of the microbial populations in these samples.
Badminton—The Lifetime Game of the Future

Abstract Badminton meets all the criteria for a lifetime sport. A case is made here for physical educators to teach badminton as part of their regular curriculum.
Discoloration related failure mechanism and its root cause in electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) pad metallurgical surface finish

Electroless nickel and immersion gold (ENIG) plating is one of the common pad metallurgical surface finish for area array packages and printed circuit boards. ENIG provides a uniform coating on copper pads for excellent solderability and enhanced resistance to corrosion and wear. Nickel plays an important role as a diffusion barrier for Cu while the thin immersion gold layer over nickel protects the Ni from oxidation. This paper describes a discoloration related failure mechanism in ENIG pads. The discoloration is caused by severe oxidation of the Ni, which in extreme severity leads to electrical fails due to increased contact resistance. This paper explains the root cause for the Ni oxidation as due to the porosity of the immersion gold and the synergistic degradation of the pores during the down-stream backend and assembly's thermal and wet treatment. Optimization of the IG plating solution recipe and IG bath control parameters is necessary to mitigate the degrading impact of the downstream processes on ENIG surface finish and for elimination of the discoloration related ENIG quality issue.
Indirect Electrolysis: Tetramethyl 1,1,2,2‐ethanetetracarboxylate

Indirect electrolysis: Tetramethyl 1,1,2,2-ethanetetracarboxylate product: tetramethyl ethenetetracarboxylate Keywords: electrolytic reactions; oxidation, miscellaneous; electrolysis apparatus, cell, power supply for