cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A folding transformation for VLSI IIR filter array design

An array structure of infinite impulse response (IIR) digital filters is presented. The architectures are formally derived using techniques for synthesizing systolic arrays from high-level (algorithmic) specifications. First, the authors apply the conventional synthesis techniques for deriving the array structure for IIR filters and then they discuss a folding transformation. Folding is a technique used for reducing the array size by allocating several computations onto the same processing element. It enables the designer to explore additional design options which are not available in the conventional approach of using linear projections to derive systolic arrays. >
Nature of alpha-recoil damage: Evidence from preferential solution effects

Abstract Preferential loss of 234U from rocks into solutions relative to 238U has long attributed to recoiling alpha-emitting nuclei. Using fission-track activation, direct evidence has been obtained for release by natural etching of alpha-recoil nuclei. A sensitive test of this mechanism can be made using a 239PuO2 source to implant 235U as recoiling nuclei. These particles leave similar tracks to the recoils from 238U decay, and the implanted nuclei are chemically the same as the 234U that arise in nature. Another virtue of 235U nuclei is their fissionability, which allows them to be sensitively detected by neutron irradiation followed by etching of the induced particle tracks. The 235U nuclei are implanted in a mineral, the mineral is exposed to a solution, and both the mineral and the solution are tested for their 235U content. Preferential removal of the recoil nuclei occurs in a wide spectrum of natural minerals. Among the eleven substances that have been studied, fractions of recoil nuclei removed with 24-hr treatments range from near zero to 62%. The existence of the effect in silicon, a semiconductor, supports the idea that recoil tracks are not produced by ionization. The lack of a clear effect in nickel is consistent with the difficulty in making pure metals amorphous by atomic collisions.
Online engineering course design, Part I: Toward asynchronous, web-based delivery of a first course in thermodynamics

As part one in a series of two, this paper describes the development of a web-based [1] first course in thermodynamics. The course is conceptualized, designed and course materials are introduced to engineering students by a team of practitioner - researchers. The course builds from previous work concerning the development of web-based thermodynamic cycle teaching modules for undergraduate mechanical engineering students [2] and relevant educational literature. The design goals for the online course are that it a) be delivered primarily through asynchronous means and b) fulfill requirements of ABET accredited degree programs in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering as is accomplished by the current face-to-face course. The course design team, consisting of engineering faculty, administrators, and instructional design professionals, used a collaborative approach to move the online course through concept, development to initial introduction. As constructed, example segments (“exemplar modules”) were introduced within the current face-to face Thermodynamics I course to witness student reactions and solicit feedback. Once this feedback is filtered back and addressed in the design, the course will be implemented and evaluated in whole within the civil, electrical and mechanical undergraduate engineering programs. The full implementation, evaluation and results will be the focus of a part two paper.
Weight Concerns, Mood, and Postpartum Smoking Relapse

Background The majority of women who quit smoking as a result of pregnancy will resume smoking during the first 6 months postpartum. Evidence suggests that changes in depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and concerns about weight may relate to postpartum smoking relapse. Purpose This study was designed to prospectively evaluate the relationship of mood and weight concerns to postpartum smoking among women who quit smoking during pregnancy. Methods Pregnant women who had quit smoking (N=183) were recruited between February 2003 and November 2006. Women completed assessments of mood (depressive symptoms, perceived stress, positive and negative affect) and weight concerns during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks postpartum. Self-reported smoking status was verified by expired-air carbon monoxide and salivary cotinine at each assessment. Cox regression analyses in which mood and weight concerns were treated as time-dependent covariates were conducted in 2007 and 2009. Results By 24 weeks postpartum, 65% of women had resumed smoking. Smoking-related weight concerns increased risk of relapse, and positive affect and self-efficacy for weight management without smoking decreased risk of relapse postpartum. Moreover, after controlling for variables previously related to postpartum relapse, weight concerns remained significantly related to smoking relapse. Conclusions Smoking-related weight concerns and positive affect increase the likelihood that a woman will resume smoking postpartum. Moreover, weight concerns appear to be salient even in the context of other factors shown to affect postpartum smoking. This study suggests that interventions may need to address women's weight concerns and mood to help sustain smoking abstinence after childbirth.
Autonomous materials with controlled toughening and healing

Biological systems exhibit many advanced sensory and healing traits that can be applied to the design of modern material systems. The foremost goal for the development of future adaptive structures is to provide materials capable of autonomously adapting in order to impede damage progression and, subsequently, heal the damaged region. Here, a novel autonomous material system is devised using shape memory polymers (SMPs), which employ a fiber optic network, functioning both as a damage detection sensor and thermal stimulus delivery system. This system mimics the advanced sensory system as well as toughening and healing mechanisms found in human bones. By incorporating both methods into this material, the resulting autonomous system is able to increase toughness by 11 times over the original material. In addition to toughening, the shape memory effect can be used to close the crack and upon reloading of the toughened SMP specimen to failure, the system demonstrates a 96% strength recovery of the virgin stre...
The relationship between newsworthiness and publication of news releases in the media

Abstract Using content analysis of news releases received, selected, and rejected, and published by the media this study examines the relationship between the newsworthiness of news releases and the publication of news releases in the media. The results show that newsworthiness is a strong predictor of the selection of news releases for publication and the amount of coverage the selected news releases will receive. However, the newsworthiness of news releases fails to predict the prominence of coverage of the selected news releases.
Refining PID Controllers using Neural Networks

The KBANN (Knowledge-Based Artificial Neural Networks) approach uses neural networks to refine knowledge that can be written in the form of simple propositional rules. We extend this idea further by presenting the MANNCON (Multivariable Artificial Neural Network Control) algorithm by which the mathematical equations governing a PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller determine the topology and initial weights of a network, which is further trained using backpropagation. We apply this method to the task of controlling the outflow and temperature of a water tank, producing statistically significant gains in accuracy over both a standard neural network approach and a nonlearning PID controller. Furthermore, using the PID knowledge to initialize the weights of the network produces statistically less variation in test set accuracy when compared to networks initialized with small random numbers.
Banana Flakes Control Diarrhea in Enterally Fed Patients

Diarrhea occurs frequently in the critically ill tube-fed population and may result from a multitude of causes. Despite the availability of antidiarrheal medications, diarrhea associated with enteral feedings remains a problem for clinicians and for the patients affected by it. We tested the hypothesis that administration of banana flakes would control diarrhea in critically ill patients receiving enteral feedings. Thirty-one patients with diarrhea and receiving enteral feedings were randomized to receive either banana flakes or medical treatment for diarrhea. Medical treatments included the use of pharmacological agents according to the discretion of the patient's physician or reducing feeding rates. Both banana flakes and medical treatments reduced the severity of diarrhea in critically ill tube-fed patients. Over the course of treatment, mean diarrhea scores were 21.64 +/- 7.81 for the banana flake group and 25.41 +/- 9.76 for the medical group. These differences were not statistically significant. Both groups achieved similar levels of nutrition support. The banana flake group had less diarrhea clinically, with 57% of the subjects diarrhea free on their last study day as opposed to 24% of the medically treated subjects. This occurred despite a threefold increase in the number of patients testing positive for Clostridium difficile toxin in the banana flake group. We conclude that banana flakes can be used as a safe, cost-effective treatment for diarrhea in critically ill tube-fed patients. Banana flakes can be given concurrently with a workup for C. difficile colitis, thereby expediting treatment of diarrhea.
Reply to the letter to the editor: Probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei effect on cariogenic bacterial flora

Answer of the authors: We were very delighted to receive the letter from Professor Alireza Akbarzadeh Baghban. His suggestions for our statistical methods indeed pointed out some important issues needed to be clarified. The purpose of using Wilcoxon signed-rank test in our study [1] was to test if there is any intra-group difference of the measurements between two specific time points (T1 vs. T2, T2 vs. T3, and T1 vs. T3). Wilcoxon signed-rank test [2] was beneficial for the pairwise comparisons in detail. We did not use Friedman test in the beginning since the overall difference among three time points was not our major concern. However, it is indeed more logical if we employed Friedman test first and followed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The purpose of using Mann–Whitney U test [2] in our study was to test if there was any inter-group difference of the measurements at three specific time points (T1,T2, or T3), and the trend of measurement along time was not our major interest. However, the generalized estimating equations are absolutely a decent method for analyzing correlated data in longitudinal studies. We recognized the benefit in this advanced statistical methods and would consider its application in our future study. In this study, we did observe a short-term probiotic effect toward cariogenic bacterial flora, that is, our current data result did not reveal any significant change in any condition between two groups. A long-term study with suitable potency of Lactobacillus paracasei will be next direction. About the sample size, we prepared total 90 sets of oral tablets (45 of the each group) at first. Although 90 volunteers were willing to join our study, 7 of them started to have dental visits such as orthodontic treatment or endodontic treatment and 3 volunteers turned out to be smokers. Ten volunteers were excluded thereafter. Only 80 participants were included in our study at the beginning of study. That is the reason why the 80 volunteers are unequal in the two placebo and experimental groups. Fortunately the declined subject numbers did not interfere with the statistical requirements and the result should be acceptable. We are by all means grateful to these well-acknowledged comments and Dr. Baghban's interest in our study. We would respect the idea of using the advanced statistical methods in our future study.
Changing abundance of Hexagenia mayfly nymphs in western Lake Erie of the Laurentian Great Lakes: Impediments to assessment of lake recovery?

After an absence of 40 years, mayfly nymphs of the genus Hexagenia were found in sediments of western Lake Erie of the Laurentian Great Lakes in 1993 and, by 1997, were abundant enough to meet a mayfly-density management goal (ca. 350 nymphs m -2 ) based on pollution-abatement programs. We sampled nymphs in western Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, located upstream of western Lake Erie, to determine the importance of seasonal abundance and life-history characteristics of nymphs (e.g., emergence and recruitment) on density estimates relative to the mayfly-density management goal. Two types of density patterns were observed: (1) densities were relatively high in spring and gradually decreased through late summer (observed in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair in 1997 and Lake St. Clair in 1999) and (2) densities were relatively high in spring, gradually decreased to mid summer, abruptly decreased in mid summer, and then increased between summer and late fall (Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair in 1998 and Lake Erie in 1999). Length-frequency distributions of nymphs and observations of adults indicate that the primary cause for the two density patterns was attributed to failed (first pattern) and successful (second pattern) reproduction and emergence of nymphs into adults in mid summer. Gradual declines in densities were attributed to mortality of nymphs. Our results indicate that caution should be used when evaluating progress of pollution-abatement programs based on mayfly densities because recruitment success is variable both between and within years. Additionally, the interpretation of progress toward management goals, relative to the restoration of Hexagenia populations in the Great Lakes and possibly other water bodies throughout the world, is influenced by the number of years in which consequtive collections are made.
Polarized vorticity dynamics on a vortex column

It is shown that vortex core dynamics results from the interaction of two slowly deforming, but overlapping, helical vortex structures. These are the left‐ and right‐handed components of the vortex, and are obtained by a generalized Helmholtz decomposition (the complex helical wave decomposition) of the vorticity field. This decomposition is based on a Fourier expansion in eigenfunctions of the curl operator, which has only real eigenvalues λ. The sum of eigenmodes with λ≳0 (λ<0) constitutes the right (left) polarized component, and the vector lines of the field (e.g., vortex lines) are locally right (left) handed helixes. It is found that for a localized vortex the polarized structures are also localized, a crucial result for physical space applications. The polarized vortex structures deform slowly (compared to unpolarized structures) and behave almost like solitary waves when isolated. It is shown that this is because the nonlinearity in the Navier–Stokes equations is largely suppressed between eigenmodes of the same polarity. Moreover, the helicity of polarized structures is very high. The interaction between overlapping polarized structures however gives each structure a different propagation velocity and also results in some additional deformation. The latter is shown to occur mainly in two places: at the front of the structure where a low enstrophy bubble forms (which is a permanent feature in each of the polarized packets), and at the back where a tail develops. Otherwise, the deformation occurs on a much slower time scale compared to that for unpolarized vortices. Thus the rapid changes in the total vorticity field result from the superposition of two slowly deforming structures moving in opposite directions, as is the case for the one‐dimensional (1‐D) wave equation. The decomposition can also be applied to turbulent flows. In fact, it offers new insight into the structure of turbulent shear flows. The organization of small‐scale vortical threads forming in the neighborhood of a coherent structure and their polarization serve as a prime example.
A wat1 mutant of fission yeast is defective in cell morphology

The organization of the actin cytoskeleton plays an integral role in cell morphogenesis of all eukaryotes. We have isolated a temperature-sensitive mutant in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, wat1-1, in which acting patches are delocalized, resulting in an elliptically shaped cell phenotype. Molecular cloning and DNA sequencing of wat1+ showed that the gene encodes a 314 residue protein containing WD-40 repeats. Cells lacking wat1+ are slow growing but viable at 25 degrees C and temperature-sensitive for growth above 33 degrees C. At restrictive temperature, wat1-d strains are phenotypically indistinguishable from wat1-1. When combined with a deletion for the wat1+ gene, cdc mutants failed to elongate at restrictive temperature and exhibited alterations in actin patch localization. This analysis suggests that wat1+ is required directly or indirectly for polarized cell growth in S. pombe. Wat1p and a functional, epitope-tagged, version of Wat1p can be overproduced without inducing alterations in cell morphology.
Atomistic simulation of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability

Large-scale atomistic simulations are performed using both the molecular dynamics and direct simulation Monte Carlo algorithms. These simulations are used to investigate several aspects of turbulent behavior, focusing on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, in which a heavy fluid lies on top of a light fluid in the presence of a gravitational field. The use of atomistic techniques allows us to capture various physical effects not resolved by more traditional continuum methods, such as the discontinuous breakup of flow features, and the effects of micro-scale fluctuations. In addition, we compare with both experiment and continuum simulations such properties as the initial growth spectrum of the interface, and the development in time of the mixing zone width.
Remarks on multigrid convergence theorems

Multigrid has become an important iterative method for the solution of discrete elliptic equations. However, there is much to be done in the theory of convergence proofs. At the present time there are two general two-level methods for general convergence proofs: an algebraic approach and a duality approach. While these theories do not give sharp estimates, they provide good, general, rigorous convergence theorems. In this note we study the relationship between these theories. While the approach and thought process leading to these theories are different, the results are essentially the same. Indeed, the basic estimates required by these theories are the same.
Development of the Diversity Practices Survey

Diversity has been described as differences in thinlung styles, speech patterns, life-styles, national origin, ethnicity, rehgion, age, functional expertise, company experience, and a host of other variables. While researchers have linked efforts to basic results (Wright, Ferris, Hder, & Kroll, 1995), the increased emphasis on understandmg the influence for diversity initiatives in the workplace warrants cont~nued empirical examination. Previous empirical attempts to assess diversity utilized the Cultural Perspectives Questionnaire (Maznevski & DiStefano, 1995), the Attitudes Toward Diversity Scale (Montei, Adams, & Eggers, 19951, and the Cultural Diversity Behefs Scale (Rentsch, Turban, Kssong, Jenluns, & Marrs, 1995), among others. While these scales are important first steps in measuring individual attitudes toward diversity in the workplace, none of these examined organizational attempts specifically aimed at evaluating differences. To rectify this gap in the literature, we developed an inventory designed to assess organizational diversity practices and interventions. Based on previous work (Cox. 1991; Morrison, 1992; Thomas, 1992) and a thorough review ,of related Irrerature, three content areas were identified for inclusion: (1) training on d~versity, (2) measures of accountabhty, and (3) organizational work initiatives to promote diversity. Diversity training explores differences based on race, sex, age, nationahty, and values as well as other factors that influence behavior in the workplace, e.g., decision-malung and learning styles. Accountab~lity may take the form of pay for performance of managers of diverse groups or compensation tied to managerial results regarding diversity-related goals. Policies for inclusion involve more flexibhty in work schedules, dress codes, and personal leave. 'Please address corres ondence and rep~inr requests to acqueline A. Gilbert. Middle Tennessee State University, &He e of Business, Depanlnent o Managemenr & Markering, Murfreesboro, TN 37132 or e-mail ~jgilberr@frank rnrsu edu).
Nardilysin facilitates complex formation between mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase

Gel filtration chromatography showed that nardilysin activity in a rat testis or rat brain extract exhibited an apparent molecular weight of approximately 300 kDa compared to approximately 187 kDa for the purified enzyme. The addition of purified nardilysin to a rat brain extract, but not to an E. coli extract, produced the higher molecular species. The addition of a GST fusion protein containing the acidic domain of nardilysin eliminated the higher molecular weight nardilysin forms, suggesting that oligomerization involves the acidic domain of nardilysin. Using an immobilized nardilysin column, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (mMDH) and citrate synthase (CS) were isolated from a fractionated rat brain extract. Porcine mMDH, but not porcine cytosolic MDH, was shown to form a heterodimer with nardilysin. Mitochondrial MDH increased nardilysin activity about 50%, while nardilysin stabilized mMDH towards heat inactivation. CS was co-immunoprecipitated with mMDH only in the presence of nardilysin showing that nardilysin facilitates complex formation.
Production of HLA antibody in mice immunised with syngeneic mouse–human hybrid cells containing human chromosome 6

Production of HLA antibody in mice immunised with syngeneic mouse–human hybrid cells containing human chromosome 6
Robustness of periodic point free maps of the annulus

Abstract We construct a diffeomorphism of the annulus into itself which has no periodic points such that when it is composed with any sufficiently small rigid rotation the resulting map still has no periodic points.
Calculations of the circular dichroism of double-helical nucleic acids. II. Effects involving n leads to pi transitions.

The circular dichroism of double-helical nucleic acids was calculated as a function of geometry, including terms involving n π* transitions. The “nonbonding” n or σ orbitals were of the azine type, delocalized, but concentrated at the nitrogen atoms of the purines and pyrimidines. Dynamic coupling of the magnetic moments of the n π* transitions with the electric moments of π π* transitions generated important terms. Mixing of electric dipole character into n π* transitions by the static electric field perturbation of the molecule is of lesser importance. The largest contributions of n π* transitions to the circular dichroism of double-helical nucleic acids are comparable in magnitude to the sum of π π* terms only for geometries where the circular dichroism is weak. Using both n π* and π π* contributions one is able to match experimental and calculated circular dichroism spectra for DNA's over a much wider range of conditions than was possible previously.
Multiscale geometric image analysis: diffusion and cores and variable conductance diffusion and object calculation

There are two basic principles associated with multiscale geometry: 1) geometry involves analysis that is invariant to certain spatial transformations, including translation, rotation, and zoom, and 2) the dimension of scale is as critical as the dimensions giving spatial position, corresponding intuitively to level of detail in image space. Considered together, image space and scale is called scale space. Three families of methods based on these principles are achieving impressive results in image analysis —particularlyin their insensitivity to irrelevant detail (including image noise) and intensity blurring, and in their ability to produce stable object descriptions and pixel classifications into objects. The three families are multiscale medial axis or core-based analysis (CBA), variable conductance difftision (VCD), and multiscale geometric statistical pattern recognition (MGSPR). This pair of tutorials (morning and afternoon) covered the basic mathematics of multiscale geometry as well as all three of these families of methods. It included algorithms for computation and also illustrative results of the applications of the methods to both 2D and 3D medical images of various modalities. The morning tutorial covered the mathematics of diffusion and scale space and the definition, effect on scale space geometry, and application of cores. The afternoon tutorial covered the mathematics, algorithms, and applications of variable conductance diffusion, including approaches involving MGSPR, and it covered algorithms for segmenting objects both via VCD and via CBA.
Affective reactivity in response to criticism in remitted bipolar disorder: a laboratory analog of expressed emotion

Potential mechanisms to explain the relationship between Expressed Emotion (EE) and poor outcome within bipolar disorder are poorly understood. One possibility is that people with bipolar disorder have difficulty regulating their affect in response to criticism. The present study examined whether participants with bipolar disorder were more affectively dysregulated than control participants when presented with a criticism by a confederate. There was a trend for people with bipolar disorder to react more negatively to the criticism, but there was also evidence that they recovered as quickly as controls. Exploratory analyses found that female gender, the perception of the criticism as more negative, being disabled, and having fewer positive relationships predicted greater reactivity to criticism among people with bipolar disorder.
Structure and catalytic activity of a manganese(III) tetraphenylporpholactone

A manganese(III) complex of tetraphenylporpholactone, Mn(TPPL)Cl, was synthesized and characterized, including by single-crystal X-ray diffraction; the catalytic activity of this complex for olefin epoxidation reactions is compared with that of manganese(III) tetraphenylporphyrin chloride, Mn(TPP)Cl.
Evaluation of x-ray scatter properties in a dedicated cone-beam breast CT scanner.

The magnitude of scatter contamination on a first-generation prototype breast computed tomography (CT) scanner was evaluated using the scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR) metric. The SPR was measured and characterized over a wide range of parameters relevant to breast CT imaging, including x-ray beam energy, breast diameter, breast composition, isocenter-to-detector distance, collimated slot thickness, and grid ratio. The results demonstrated that in the absence of scatter reduction techniques, the SPR levels for the average breast (e.g., 14 cm diameter 50/50 composition cylindrical phantom) are quite high ({approx}0.5 at the center of the phantom for 80 kVp in true cone-beam CT geometry), and increases as the diameter of the phantom is increased (to {approx}1.0 at the center of a 18 cm diameter 50/50 phantom). The x-ray beam energy and the phantom compositions had only minimal impact on the measured SPR. When an ideal bowtie filter was used, the SPRs at the central axis of the 14 and 18 cm cylindrical phantoms were reduced while the SPRs at the edge of the phantoms were increased. Lastly, collimation in the vertical direction had a significant impact on the SPRs at the central axis of the phantoms. These high SPR levels might lead to cupping artifactsmore » and increased noise in the reconstructed CT images, and this suggests that efficient scatter rejection and/or correction techniques may be required to improve the quality and accuracy of cone beam CT images.« less
Creating interactive 3D media with projector-camera systems

This paper presents a practical framework for creating and visualizing interactive 3-D media using a system of uncalibrated projector-cameras. The proposed solution uses light patterns that temporally encode the projector’s coordinate system to solve the traditionally challenging multiframe correspondence problem by straightforward decoding instead of computational multiframe optimization. Two sets of coded light patterns (black/white stripes and colored 2x2 blocks, both of varying spatial resolutions) are presented and compared. The resulting correspondences are directly used as a compelling form of interactive 3-D media through described techniques including three-frame view synthesis, multiframe view synthesis using multiple three-frame groupings, and even single-camera view interpolation. It is shown that adapting the rendering order of the correspondences with respect to the projector’s coordinate system ensures the correct visibility for the synthesized views. Experimental results demonstrate that the framework works well for various real-world scenes, even including those with multiple objects and textured surfaces. The framework, along with the resulting correspondences, also has implications in many other computer vision and image processing applications, especially those that require multiframe correspondences.
Genetic diversity at an oncogene locus and in mitochondrial DNA between populations of cancer-prone Atlantic tomcod.

It has been reported that Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) from the Hudson River exhibit an extremely high incidence of liver tumors. More than 90% of spawning 2-year-old fish display hepatocellular carcinomas. In contrast, representatives of this species from a relatively pristine environment show a much lower incidence of tumors. Genomic DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were isolated from tomcod from the Hudson River, New York, and the Saco River and Royal River, Maine. We found a statistically significant difference in the frequency ofPstI-generated restriction fragment length polymorphisms in theabl cellular oncogene between Hudson and Maine tomcod. Allelic variation was observed at two of the threeabl domains scored. A single composite genotype seen in approximately 40% of Hudson River fish was seen in only one Maine fish. This polymorphism enabled us to differentiate a Hudson River population from that encountered in the Maine rivers. This is the first demonstration of a population-specific polymorphism at a cellular oncogene locus in any species. In contrast, no restriction site polymorphisms were seen in mtDNA between the populations. The lack of mtDNA diversity in these fish is consistent with the geological history of the area. In combination, these results suggest that the genetic diversity observed at the c-abl oncogene locus must have been a fairly recent event and that oncogene loci may be particularly sensitive to mutational change.
C - axis resistivity of stages 1–7 potassium-intercalated graphite

Abstract Temperature-dependent c-axis resistivity measurements on stages 1–7 potassium-graphite compounds show a crossover from metallic to activated behaviour between stages 4 and 5, as well as the onset of a new type of anomaly for stage ≥4. KC 8 shows in addition a tendency toward a metal-insulator transition below 40K. The high-stage transport process is discussed in terms of weak depletion of the interior layers by interlayer screening. We suggest that the high stage anomalies reflect an instability in the c-axis charge distribution.
Proazaphosphatranes [P(RNCH2CH2)3N, R = Me, i‐Pr, i‐Bu]

[331465-71-5] C18H39N4P (MW 342.50) InChI = 1S/C18H39N4P/c1-16(2)13-20-10-7-19-8-11-21(14-17(3)4)23(20)22(12-9-19)15-18(5)6/h16-18H,7-15H2,1-6H3 InChIKey = WFHPXSHLCFHEIA-UHFFFAOYSA-N (a strong non-ionic base used for organic transformations and as a ligand in a number of palladium cross-coupling reactions) Alternate Name: 2,8,9-tri-i-butyl-2,5,8,9-tetraaza-1-phosphabi- cyclo[3.3.3]undecane. Solubility: soluble in all common non-protic organic solvents, including THF, pentane, benzene, toluene, etc. Dissolves in and deprotonates acetonitrile, DMSO, and alcohols to varying degrees. Form Supplied in: clear to cloudy pale yellow liquid. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: moisture and air sensitive. Store and handle under inert atmosphere (argon or nitrogen).
Neurobiological Studies of Sensory Gating in Schizophrenia

The sensory disturbance in schizophrenia is often described as an inability to filter out extraneous noise from meaningful sensory inputs. The neurobiological basis of this inability to filter has been examined using auditory evoked potentials, which are computerized averages of the brain's electrical response to sound. The sounds are presented in pairs to test the ability of the brain to inhibit, or gate, its response to a repeated stimulus. Schizophrenic patients lack the ability to gate the neuronal response shown by a particular wave, the P50 wave. The measurement of this deficit in human subjects and the exploration of its neurobiology in animals has produced evidence about several issues in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia: (1) the role of dopamine in improvement of sensory function in schizophrenic patients treated with neuroleptic drugs, (2) the interaction between familial or genetic deficits in sensory functioning in schizophrenic patients and possible abnormalities in dopamine metabolism, and (3) a mechanism by which noradrenergic hyperactivity in mania and other psychiatric illnesses might mimic some pathophysiological deficits in schizophrenia.
Somaclonal variation in seed germination of dallisgrass biotypes

Dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.) is an important pasture grass on moist fertile sites in warm climates, however, it is limited in use by periodic low seed quality and resulting erratic availability and establishment difficulties. Due to apomictic reproduction, common pentaploid dallisgrass has not been responsive to traditional plant improvement approaches. Recent research has shown potential for some improvement in forage production and plant persistence with apomictic hexaploid varieties of dallisgrass. Tissue-culture regeneration has been reported to produce somaclonal variation in seed germination of common pentaploid dallisgrass and has recently resulted in availability of potentially useful regenerants of hexaploid dallisgrass. Seed of selected plants from both field and greenhouse environments was evaluated in replicated germination trials to determine whether hexaploid tissue-culture regenerants responded similarly to regenerants from common dallisgrass and to determine whether regenerants expressing potential agronomic usefulness as indicated by preliminary observations differed in germination. The eight germination trials included 299 regenerants with 57 of these being duplicate entries among trials. Germination did not differ among sources of regenerants. Within sources germination differed among regenerants with a few individuals exceeding germination percentage of parent lines in one evaluation of greenhouse-produced seed. Individual regenerants with agronomic potential and high percentage seed germination were identified. The results demonstrate that tissue-culture regeneration can be used to produce improved germination in agronomically useful genotypes of apomictic dallisgrass and suggest that such potential may exist for other recalcitrant plant species.
Mediastinal emphysema and pneumothorax following thyroidectomy; report of two cases.

MEDIASTINAL emphysema with pneumothorax, unilateral or bilateral, is an uncommon complication following thyroidectomy but it is a definite possiblity and undoubtedly occurs more frequently than recognized. Of 16 instances reported in the literature, 11 patients died. This mortality is much higher than one would expect from such a complication and would lead one to believe that it occurs more often in an unrecognized and less lethal form. The symptoms, which are primarily those of a tension pneumothorax, appear during or soon after the operation and may lead to death so quickly that the surgeon does not have the time to analyze the situation or even gather together sufficient information from which to make a diagnosis. Furthermore, unless the postmortem pathologist routinely takes premortem roentgenograms of the chest or makes special efforts to rule out pneumothorax, the condition will not be recognized even at the autopsy table. If the autopsy is delayed a number of hours, air in the mediastinum diffuses...
Allergic reactions to antimicrobial agents: A review of reactions to drugs not in the beta lactam antibiotic class

Abstract Allergic reactions to antimicrobial drugs are common causes of morbidity but rarely of death. Despite the lack of proven immunodiagnostic tests for reactions to the non-β-lactam drugs, the agents that cause reactions usually can be identified by analysis of their propensity to cause reactions, temporal relationships of exposure to reactions, and remission of reactions when the drugs are discontinued. Measurements of plasma histamine levels, high-molecular-weight neutrophil chemotactic factor, and heparin-like activity and of urinary histamine and prostaglandin D 2 metabolites should help clarify the role of mast cell mediator release in the various forms of these reactions. Measurements of C3a, C4a, and C5a, in biologic fluids should facilitate analysis of the contributions of complement activation to the reactions observed. Assessment of these pathophysiologic parameters should provide a more rational basis for the selection of specific pharmacologic interventions to suppress allergic reactions. If no alternative drugs are available, infected patients who are allergic often can be gradually desensitized with the agents to which they are allergic. While much important work remains to be completed, current approaches can minimize the morbidity and mortality rates associated with allergic reactions to antimicrobial agents.
Caring for the patients with cervical spine injuries : what have we learned?

Purpose: Anesthesiologists are often involved in the early management and resuscitation of patients who have sustained cervical spine injuries (CSIs). The most crucial step in managing a patient with suspected CSI is the prevention of further insult to the cervical spine (C-spine). In this review, important factors related to initial management, diagnosis, airway and anesthetic management of patients with CSI are presented. Source: Medline search was performed to seek out the English-language literature using the following phrases and keywords: spine trauma; cervical spine; airway management after CSI. Principal Findings: Cervical spine injury occurs in up to 3% to 6% of all patients with trauma. The initial management of a patient with potential spine injury requires a high degree of suspicion for CSI so that early stabilization of the spine can be used to prevent further neurological damage. Diagnostic radiology has a critical role to play; however, clinical evaluation is equally important in excluding CSI in a conscious and cooperative patient. Although in-line stabilization reduces the movement at C-spine, traction causes clinically significant distraction and should be avoided. Conclusion: A high level of suspicion and anticipation are the major components of decision making and management in a patient with CSI. Endotracheal intubation using the Bullard laryngoscope may have some advantages over other techniques as it causes less head and C-spine extension than the conventional laryngoscope, and this results in a better view. However, the current opinion is that oral intubation using a Macintosh blade after intravenous induction of anesthesia and muscle relaxation along with inline stabilization is the safest and quickest way to achieve intubation in a patient with suspected CSI. In summation caution, close care and maintenance of spinal immobilization are more important factors in limiting the risk of secondary neurological injury than any particular technique.
SPINNING OF ZEIN

An experimental study of the variables in the wet spinning process for zein is presented. The results indicate conditions at which spinning of zein is possible and a spinnability curve, which shows the region where spinning is possible, has been defined. The spinnability curve tends to be higher for larger extrusion velocities, lower dope concentrations, higher bath temperatures, and larger spinnerette diameters.
A 22-year study on the effects of mammalian browsing on forest succession following a clearcut in northern lower Michigan.

Abstract Tree stems were systematically sampled in 1983, 1988 and 1999 in a 1977 clearcut in the Pigeon River State Forest, Michigan. All stems were identified to species and recorded as living or dead and browsed or unbrowsed by mammalian herbivores, based on inspection of twigs and buds. Tree species richness increased in the study area, mostly due to the presence of several wind dispersed species previously not recorded. The abundance of all trees collectively declined over the study period as the clearcut aged and the relative abundance of the most preferred (and most common) browse species in 1983 declined to 0.0 by 1999. There was no evidence that mammalian herbivores were using the clearcut for feeding in 1999, suggesting decline of use as preferred species declined. About half the study area sampled in 1999 was dominated by herbaceous species, whereas the entire area was dominated by young woody growth in earlier years. The results collectively suggest that high degrees of sustained browsing affec...
Rhetorical Indios: Propagandists and Their Publics in the Spanish Philippines

Censorship notwithstanding, the final half-century of Spanish rule in the Philippines was a time of efflorescence in colonial print culture. Between the advent of typo-lithography in 1858 and the successive occurrence, in 1896 and 1898, of the Filipino revolution and the Spanish-American War, printing presses operating in Manila and beyond issued thousands of books and periodicals, the first public library, the Museo-Biblioteca de Filipinas, opened its doors in 1887, and the importation of books from Europe and America could scarcely keep pace with demand.
The Rise, Decline and Rise of Incomes Policies in the US During the Post-war Era: An Institutional-analytical Explanation of Inflation and the Functional Distribution of Income

This paper is based on the premise that at any point in time, macroeconomic performance is best understood in terms of certain 'fundamental' features of the income-generating process that are embedded in a relatively enduring institutional framework, that both affects and is affected by macroeconomic outcomes themselves. This results in the evolution of capitalist economies through a succession of discrete, medium-term episodes of macroeconomic performance. The purpose of the paper is to apply this vision to the explanation of inflation and the functional distribution of income in the post-war US economy. A conflicting claims model of inflation is developed, in which inflation is the result of conflict over the functional distribution of income. It is then shown how an account of the different, relatively enduring institutions within which this 'fundamental' macroeconomic process has been embedded over the past 50 years can be used to calibrate the analytical model, giving rise to an explanation of inflation and the functional distribution of income in the US as having evolved through three discrete episodes. Moreover, once the institutional context of macroeconomic performance is properly recognized in this manner, inflation and the functional distribution of income in the US over the past 50 years are seen to be explained by the rise, decline, and rise of successive incomes policies.
Variants of Smooth Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis That Grow to Higher Cell Density Than the Wild Type Are More Virulent

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis that grows to a higher cell density (SE-HCD) than wild type while retaining O-chain lipopolysaccharide was isolated by transforming wild type serovar Enteritidis with the cell density sensor plasmid pSB402 and selecting for bioluminescence. A luminescent strain, SE-HCD, that emitted light in proportion with cell density and opacity through stationary phase was isolated. After a peak cell density of 1.5 x 10(11) CFU/ml was observed, luminescence decreased, although opacity continued to increase. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that changes in luminescence and opacity past peak cell density were associated with lysis of a swarming hyperflagellated coccobacillary cell type and emergence of a 10-to-30-fold-elongated rod cell type that lacked cell surface structures. Vigorous aeration was required to induce this dramatic cellular differentiation. The virulence of two isogenic variants with different patterns of light emission at an opacity of 0.2 after the culture was diluted 10-fold (1/10 OD) was assessed in animal models. Whereas SE-HCD1 killed 70% of 6-day-old chicks challenged subcutaneously, the same dose of SE-HCD2 did not kill any chicks. Conversely, subcutaneous challenge of hens with SE-HCD2 contaminated eggs five and seven times more often, respectively, than did SE-HCD1 or wild type serovar Enteritidis. Intravenous challenge with SE-HCD2 contaminated 22% of eggs versus 0. 5% with wild type, depressed egg production for 4 weeks, and caused clinical signs of Gallinarum Disease (Fowl Typhoid) in hens. SE-HCD2 produced no contaminated eggs following oral infection, whereas wild type contaminated 1.3% of eggs. Thus, SE-HCD2 is better at contaminating eggs than wild type, but only by parenteral challenge. These results suggest that it may be possible to separate luminescent serovar Enteritidis into groups that infect different age groups and organs and contaminate eggs.
Propagated fixed-bed mixed-acid fermentation: Effect of volatile solid loading rate and agitation at near-neutral pH

Abstract To increase conversion and product concentration, mixed-acid fermentation can use a countercurrent strategy where solids and liquids pass in opposite directions through a series of fermentors. To limit the requirement for moving solids, this study employed a propagated fixed-bed fermentation, where solids were stationary and only liquid was transferred. To evaluate the role of agitation, continuous mixing was compared with periodic mixing. The periodically mixed fermentation had similar conversion, but lower yield and selectivity. Increasing volatile solid loading rate from 1.5 to 5.1 g non-acid volatile solids/(Lliq·d) and increasing liquid retention time decreased yield, conversion, selectivity, but increased product concentrations. Compared to a previous study at high pH (∼9), this study achieved higher performance at near neutral pH (∼6.5) and optimal C–N ratios. Compared to countercurrent fermentation, propagated fixed-bed fermentations have similar selectivities and produce similar proportions of acetic acid, but have lower yields, conversion, productivities, and acid concentrations.
Modeling the World from Internet Photo Collections

There are billions of photographs on the Internet, comprising the largest and most diverse photo collection ever assembled. How can computer vision researchers exploit this imagery? This paper explores this question from the standpoint of 3D scene modeling and visualization. We present structure-from-motion and image-based rendering algorithms that operate on hundreds of images downloaded as a result of keyword-based image search queries like "Notre Dame" or "Trevi Fountain." This approach, which we call Photo Tourism, has enabled reconstructions of numerous well-known world sites. This paper presents these algorithms and results as a first step towards 3D modeling of the world's well-photographed sites, cities, and landscapes from Internet imagery, and discusses key open problems and challenges for the research community.