cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthetic and structural studies on (η5:η5-fulvalene)bimetallic compounds derived from (η5:η5-fulvalene)dithallium

Abstract A reaction between halide-free solutions of dihydrofulvalene and thallium ethoxide has produced (η 5 : η 5 -fulvalene)dithallium ( 1 ) in 85–100% yield. Reactions of 1 with carbonyl halides of cobalt, rhodium, iridium, manganese and rhenium produce corresponding homobimetallic fulvalene metal carbonyls ( 2 , 5 , 9 – 11 ) in yields of 52–94%. The rhodium complex (η 5 : η 5 -C 10 H 8 )Rh 2 (CO) 4 ( 5 ) reacted with trimethylamine- N -oxide dihydrate to form a tricarbonyl derivative (η 5 : η 5 -C 10 H 8 )Rh 2 (μ-CO)(CO) 2 ( 6 ) that contained a bridging carbonyl group and a rhodium-rhodium bond. The bridging carbonyl substituent could be replaced by a bridging methylene group by reaction of 6 with N -methyl- N -nitrosourea. Tetra(η 2 -ethylene)-, bis(η 4 -1,2,5,6-cyclooctadiene)-, and bis(η 4 -1,2,5,6-cyclooctatetraene)(η 5 : η 5 -fulvalene)dirhodium ( 12 – 14 ) have been prepared in high yields by reactions of 1 with the corresponding chloro(diolefin)rhodium dimers. Variable temperature 1 H NMR studies on the tetraethylene complex 12 demonstrated that the ethylene ligands are fluxional, with Δ G + 65 ± 1 KJ/mol. Photolysis of 14 with two equivalents of (η 2 -C 2 H 4 ) 2 (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Rh has afforded the tetranuclear complex bis[(η 5 -cyclopentadienyl)rhodium(μ-cyclooctatetraene)](η 5 : η 5 -fulvalene)dirhodium ( 15 ) in 27% yield. The single crystal X-ray structures of 2 , 5 , 10 , and 12 have been carried out. Each consists of an η 5 : η 5 -fulvalene dianion bridging two metal centers which lie on opposite sides on the fulvalene plane. In each case the formula unit resides around a crystallographic center of inversion. 2 and 5 are isostructural crystallizing in the
TRUE HOUSEHOLD EQUIVALENCE SCALES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POOR IN THE UNITED STATES

In this paper we deal with the question of which measures of economic well-being are adequate to identify those groups of households in the U.S. whose economic conditions justify public concern and assistance. We derive a utility based measure of economic well-being from the estimation of a complete set of consumer demand equations. The demand system is Lluch's Extended Linear Expenditure System (Lluch, 1973). Household characteristics are incorporated using the scaling method proposed by Barten (1966). Using the welfare indicator derived, we study the composition of the poorest part of the population, using data from the 1972–73 Consumer Expenditure Survey. We compare our results with those obtained using various other welfare indicators, including the official U.S. poverty line. We show that using different family composition adjustments significantly and systematically affects just who are considered to be at the bottom of the welfare distribution. We finally suggest that program designers therefore can improve their target efficiency by carefully selecting from among the acceptable indices of welfare when defining program eligibility.
Three-Dimensional Display For Quality Control Of Digital Cartographic Data

Holographic stereograms, varifocal mirrors, stereo pairs and alternating pairs are evaluated as to their appropriateness for modeling digital cartographic data as produced by the Defense Mapping Agency. After describing the data and establishing criteria for what constitutes an acceptable three-dimensional display system, we present each technology and evaluate it based on the criteria.
The effect of playability in differential games on the relation between best guaranteed costs and saddlepoint values

In a classical two-person zero-sum game, the decision pairs are members of a product space of admissible decision sets. Such a game possesses a number of desirable properties. In a differential game in which termination is required and a playability requirement is imposed on decision pairs, some properties of classical games need not hold. This is demonstrated by means of an example.
Buying into the World of Goods: Early Consumers in Backcountry Virginia/A New Nation of Goods: The Material Culture of Early America

Buying into the World of Goods: Early Consumers in Backcountry Virginia ANN SMART MARTIN Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008 Pp. 288, $55.00 (hbk), $13.00 (pbk), ISBNs 978 0 8018 9826 6...
Torantil (histaminase) in urticaria following serum administration

B EST and McHenry, 1 in 1930, reported ttmt histaminase could be neutralized in vitro by a substance extracted from certain viscera, particularly the gastrointestinal tract and kidney. Since this substance displayed the properties of an enzyme, they called it histaminase. They prepared it as a stable powder and defined 1 unit as the amomlt necessary to neutralize 1 mg. of histamine after twenty-four hours of incubation at 37 ~ C. at a pH of 7.2. tIistaminase was subsequently manufactured ior clinical use from porcine gastrointestinal tract. It was given the trade name of Torantil and distributed in the form of tablets or capsules, each containing 5 units. It has been frequently suggested that a sudden release of histamine might be the mechanism whereby the various clinical signs of an allergic state are produced. Were this true, it would be logical to assume that a substance capable of destroying histamine in the body might be of therapeutic value. A number of investigators have, therefore, tested histaminase experimentally and clinically in a wide variety of conditions. The results have been diverse and difficult to interpret. The only reports pertinent to our work were those concerned with use of histaminase in serum sickness after antitoxin or antiserum administration. Foshay and Hagebusch 2 reported "marked relief in twenty of twenty-two cases," with prevention of serum sickness in six of eight patients treated prophylactically. Roth and Horten 3 noted relief in from twelve to thirty-six hours in fourteen of seventeen patients; and Vaisberg ~ had good results in one patient. Cherry and Prickman 5 used Torantil to prevent and treat selann sickness in twentytwo patients with good results. Many patients treated with serums and antitoxins develop serum sickness. I t was decided to note the effect of Torantil in such patients i n the Division of Contagious Diseases, City Hospital, Cleveland, following the administration of" scarlet fever antitoxin, diphtheria antitoxin, pneumococcus antiserum or meningococcus antitoxin. In the first clinical experiment, thirteen patients who developed urticaria were given four tablets of Torantil four times a day until the serum sickness had subsided. This procedure seemed worthless, since
Age as a Factor in Long Term Program Retention and Weight Maintenance in Obese Children and Adolescents |[dagger]| 698

Research indicates that prevention of adult obesity may be accomplished through the treatment of prediatric obesity. However, it is unclear whether treatment should begin during the early or later childhood years. We examined the one-year program retention and weight maintenance of 139 obese children(M=63, F=76; Age=12.11±2.6 yrs.; Range=7.1-17.6 yrs.) enrolled in a multidisciplinary pediatric weight management program. The one-year program consisted of a protein-sparing modified fast diet, followed by a balanced hypocaloric diet, nutrition education, behavior modification, and a moderate-intensity (45-55% VO2max), progressive exercise program. Measures of height, weight, percent of ideal body weight (%IBW), and body mass index (BMI) were obtained at baseline, ten weeks and one year. For statistical analysis, subjects were blocked by age as follows: 7-8 yrs., 9-10 yrs., 11-12 yrs., and 13+ yrs. A repeated measures one way analysis of variance indicated the the results in the table (%IBW, mean±S.D;*Baseline to 10 weeks and baseline to 1 year. 10 weeks to 1 year = N.S.).
Site-specific Delivery of Oligonucleotides to Hepatocytes after Systemic Administration

We previously complexed ODN with galactosylated poly( l-lysine) (Gal-PLL) to enhance its site-specific delivery to hepatocytes. To avoid the use of polycations, in this study we conjugated galactosylated poly(ethylene glycol) (Gal-PEG (MW of PEG: 3486 +/- 500 Da)) to ODN via an acid-labile ester linkage of beta-thiopropionate. Following tail vein injection into rats, Gal-PEG- 33P-ODN rapidly cleared from the circulation and 60.2% of the injected dose accumulated in the liver at 30 min postinjection, which was significantly higher than that deposited after injection of 33P-ODNs. The plasma concentration versus time profile of Gal-PEG- 33P-ODN was biphasic, with 4.38 +/- 0.36 min as t1/2 of distribution and 118.61 +/- 22.06 min as t1/2 of elimination. Prior administration of excess Gal-BSA decreased the hepatic uptake of Gal-PEG- 33P-ODN from 60.2% to 35.9%, suggesting galactose triggers the asialoglycoprotein receptor-mediated endocytosis of Gal-PEG- 33P-ODN by hepatocytes. A large proportion of the injected Gal-PEG- 33P-ODN was taken up by the hepatocytes as evidenced by determination of radioactivity in the digested liver cells upon liver perfusion and separation by centrifugation on a Nycodenz gradient. In conclusion, Gal-PEG-ODN conjugate may be used for treating a variety of liver diseases.
Self-Consistent Model of Magnetospheric Ring Current and Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves: The 2-7 May 1998 Storm

A complete description of a self-consistent model of magnetospheric ring current interacting with electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves is presented. The model is based on the system of two kinetic equations; one equation describes the ring current ion dynamics, and another equation describes the wave evolution. The effects on ring current ions interacting with electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves and back on waves are considered self-consistently by solving both equations on a global magnetospheric scale under nonsteady state conditions. The developed model is employed to simulate the entire 2-7 May 1998 storm period. First, the trapped number fluxes of the ring current protons are calculated and presented along with comparison with the data measured by the three- dimensional hot plasma instrument Polar/HYDRA. Incorporating in the model the wave-particle interaction leads to much better agreement between the experimental data and the model results. Second, examining of the wave (MLT, L shell) distributions produced by the model during the storm progress reveals an essential intensification of the wave emission about 2 days after the main phase of the storm. This result is well consistent with the earlier ground-based observations. Finally, the theoretical shapes and the occurrence rates of the wave power spectral densities are studied. It is found that about 2 days after the storm s main phase on 4 May, mainly non-Gaussian shapes of power spectral densities are produced.
Inside the Anticommons: Academic scientists’ struggle to build a commercially self-supporting human mutations database, 1999–2001

Abstract According to proponents of ‘the tragedy of the Anticommons’ hypothesis, resources with fragmented ownership are often under-exploited. This paper describes how approximately 100 academic biologists tried to trade their data for corporate support of a worldwide Depository for human mutations data. Although the group obtained a $ 2.3 million offer, it became deadlocked in trying to respond. Analysis of this failure suggests that Anticommons effects exist in biotechnology. Deadlock occurred because most members could not afford the information costs needed to reach a decision. Project advocates tried to reduce the Anticommons effects by making information easier to obtain. Opponents added to the information burden of members by making assertions that could not easily be checked.
A comparison of network, neighborhood, and node levels of analyses in two models of nitrogen cycling in the Cape Fear River Estuary

Abstract Ecological network analysis is a set of algorithms that provide a holistic approach to the study of ecosystems. These analyses operate on at least three different hierarchical levels: network, neighborhood, and node. Network level analyses capture whole-system interactions and provide a broad view of the system; neighborhood level analyses provide relational information for specific parts or sub-networks; node level analyses offer descriptive characteristics of individual nodes. This work investigated the insights gained from each of these levels of analysis in an ecological network analysis case study. We compared two nitrogen cycling network models constructed at sites with different salinities, one oligohaline and one polyhaline, in the Cape Fear River Estuary, NC, USA as a case study to demonstrate the differences between levels of analysis. We evaluated the nitrogen cycling models at both the network and node levels, and compared these results to existing results of a neighborhood level analysis. We further compared the ecological implications of the nitrogen network comparison produced by each hierarchical level to test the null hypotheses that there would be no difference between the conclusions resulting from these levels of analysis. We found that while network level analyses showed little difference between the two nitrogen models, differences with potential ecological importance for the availability of nutrients to phytoplankton could be seen using node level analyses. The results of the existing neighborhood level analyses exhibited characteristics with similarities to the results of both the network and node level analyses. We show that higher hierarchical levels, which integrate the information contained at the lower levels, can mask potentially important signals when describing network attributes. Therefore, we conclude that ecosystem networks should be analyzed at multiple hierarchical levels to provide a complete description of system function.
The equivariant de Rham theorem on FrchetS 1-manifolds

The free loop spaceLM of the space of smooth maps fromS1 to a finite dimensional manifoldM is a Frechet manifold equipped with the naturalS1-action induced by the rotation. The regular cohomology theory and de Rham theorem does not deal with these symmetries. In order to involve this naturalS1-action, the equivariant cohomology theories are developed for FrechetS1-manifolds. We prove the equivariant de Rham theorem for certain class of FrechetS1-manifolds, in particular for free loop spaces.
STRONG-COUPLING PARAMETERS IN SUPERCONDUCTING In--Pb ALLOYS.

Abstract Far-infrared measurements of the energy gap in In-Pb alloys have been performed. The results indicate that neither of two proposed relationships between 2Δ/ kT c and T c /θ D is adequate.
NF-κB activation by double-stranded-RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) is mediated through NF-κB-inducing kinase and IκB kinase

The interferon (IFN)-inducible double-stranded-RNA (dsRNA)-activated serine-threonine protein kinase (PKR) is a major mediator of the antiviral and antiproliferative activities of IFNs. PKR has been implicated in different stress-induced signaling pathways including dsRNA signaling to nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB). The mechanism by which PKR mediates activation of NF-kappaB is unknown. Here we show that in response to poly(rI). poly(rC) (pIC), PKR activates IkappaB kinase (IKK), leading to the degradation of the inhibitors IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta and the concomitant release of NF-kappaB. The results of kinetic studies revealed that pIC induced a slow and prolonged activation of IKK, which was preceded by PKR activation. In PKR null cell lines, pIC failed to stimulate IKK activity compared to cells from an isogenic background wild type for PKR in accord with the inability of PKR null cells to induce NF-kappaB in response to pIC. Moreover, PKR was required to establish a sustained response to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and to potentiate activation of NF-kappaB by cotreatment with TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. By coimmunoprecipitation, PKR was shown to be physically associated with the IKK complex. Transient expression of a dominant negative mutant of IKKbeta or the NF-kappaB-inducing kinase (NIK) inhibited pIC-induced gene expression from an NF-kappaB-dependent reporter construct. Taken together, these results demonstrate that PKR-dependent dsRNA induction of NF-kappaB is mediated by NIK and IKK activation.
Mapping carbon and water vapor fluxes in a chaparral ecosystem using vegetation indices derived from AVIRIS

Abstract Using simple models derived from spectral reflectance, we mapped the patterns of ecosystem CO 2 and water fluxes in a semi-arid site in southern California during a period of extreme disturbance, marked by drought and fire. Employing a combination of low (∼ 2 km) and high (∼ 16 km) altitude images from the hyperspectral Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), acquired between April 2002 and September 2003, and ground data collected from an automated tram system, several vegetation indices were calculated for Sky Oaks field station, a FLUXNET and SpecNet site located in northern San Diego County (CA, USA). Based on the relationships observed between the fluxes measured by the eddy covariance tower and the vegetation indices, net CO 2 and water vapor flux maps were derived for the region around the flux tower. Despite differences in the scale of the images (from ∼ 2 m to 16 m pixel size) as well as marked differences in environmental conditions (drought in 2002, recovery in early 2003, and fire in mid 2003), net CO 2 and water flux modeled from AVIRIS-derived reflectance indices (NDVI, PRI and WBI) effectively tracked changes in tower fluxes across both drought and fire, and readily revealed spatial variation in fluxes within this landscape. After an initial period of net carbon uptake, drought and fire caused the ecosystem to lose carbon to the atmosphere during most of the study period. Our study shows the power of integrating optical and flux data in LUE models to better understand factors driving surface-atmosphere carbon and water vapor flux cycles, one of the main goals of SpecNet.
Fast extraction of high-quality crease surfaces for visual analysis

We present a novel algorithm for the efficient extraction and visualization of high-quality ridge and valley surfaces from numerical datasets. Despite their rapidly increasing popularity in visualization, these so-called crease surfaces remain challenging to compute owing to their strongly nonlinear and non-orientable nature, and their complex boundaries. In this context, existing meshing techniques require an extremely dense sampling that is computationally prohibitive. Our proposed solution intertwines sampling and meshing steps to yield an accurate approximation of the underlying surfaces while ensuring the geometric quality of the resulting mesh. Using the computation power of the GPU, we propose a fast, parallel method for sampling. Additionally, we present a new front propagation meshing strategy that leverages CPU multiprocessing. Results are shown for synthetic, medical and fluid dynamics datasets.
Improving measurement in health education and health behavior research using item response modeling: comparison with the classical test theory approach

This paper compares the approach and resultant outcomes of item response models (IRMs) and classical test theory (CTT). First, it reviews basic ideas of CTT, and compares them to the ideas about using IRMs introduced in an earlier paper. It then applies a comparison scheme based on the AERA/APA/NCME ‘Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests’ to compare the two approaches under three general headings: (i) choosing a model; (ii) evidence for reliability—incorporating reliability coefficients and measurement error—and (iii) evidence for validity—including evidence based on instrument content, response processes, internal structure, other variables and consequences. An example analysis of a self-efficacy (SE) scale for exercise is used to illustrate these comparisons. The investigation found that there were (i) aspects of the techniques and outcomes that were similar between the two approaches, (ii) aspects where the item response modeling approach contributes to instrument construction and evaluation beyond the classical approach and (iii) aspects of the analysis where the measurement models had little to do with the analysis or outcomes. There were no aspects where the classical approach contributed to instrument construction or evaluation beyond what could be done with the IRM approach. Finally, properties of the SE scale are summarized and recommendations made.
Real-Time Incremental Segmentation and Tracking of Vehicles at Low Camera Angles Using Stable Features

We present a method for segmenting and tracking vehicles on highways using a camera that is relatively low to the ground. At such low angles, 3-D perspective effects cause significant changes in appearance over time, as well as severe occlusions by vehicles in neighboring lanes. Traditional approaches to occlusion reasoning assume that the vehicles initially appear well separated in the image; however, in our sequences, it is not uncommon for vehicles to enter the scene partially occluded and remain so throughout. By utilizing a 3-D perspective mapping from the scene to the image, along with a plumb line projection, we are able to distinguish a subset of features whose 3-D coordinates can be accurately estimated. These features are then grouped to yield the number and locations of the vehicles, and standard feature tracking is used to maintain the locations of the vehicles over time. Additional features are then assigned to these groups and used to classify vehicles as cars or trucks. Our technique uses a single grayscale camera beside the road, incrementally processes image frames, works in real time, and produces vehicle counts with over 90% accuracy on challenging sequences.
Automatic Detection and Diagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy

A computer aided detection and diagnostic system has been developed for diabetic retinopathy (DR). The system detects the fovea, blood vessel network, optic disk, as well as bright and dark lesions associated with DR. The diagnosis is based on the number, type and location of abnormalities relative to the fovea. Detection of normal retinal components was done as part of the overall system development and the work has been reported in literature. Lesion detection is accomplished through the process of eliminating the normal retinal components: blood vessels, fovea and optic disk. Remaining objects in the retinal image include the background and abnormalities if present. The image is partitioned in two regions: fovea and non-fovea, which have different backgrounds. Filtering and statistical adaptive thresholding are applied throughout the remaining data. The diagnostics and final system's layer is a knowledge-based system.
Autonomous Data Error Detection and Recovery in Streaming Applications

Detecting and recovering from errors in data streams is paramount to developing successful autonomous real-time streaming applications. In this paper, we devise a multi-modal data error detection and recovery architecture to enable automated recovery from data errors in streaming applications based on available redundancy. We formally define error signatures as a way to identify classes of abnormal conditions and mode likelihood vectors as a quantitative discriminator of data stream condition modes. Finally, we design an extension to our own declarative programming language, PILOTS, to include error correction code. We define performance metrics for our approach, and evaluate the impact of monitored data window size and mode likelihood change threshold on the accuracy and responsiveness of our data-driven multi-modal error detection and correction software. Tragic accidents—such as Air France’s flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris in June 2009 killing all people on board— can be prevented by implementing auto-pilot systems with an airspeed data stream error detection and correction algorithm following the fundamental principles illustrated in this work.
Patterns of Spatial Association Between Spider Mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) and Their Natural Enemies on Cotton

Environ. Entomol. 21(3): 471-477 (1992) ABSTRACT The spatial patterns of association between spider mites and some of their natural enemies and the potential changes in these association patterns through the season, between years, and as a result of pesticides targeting both the spider mites and their natural enemies were studied in cotton. Included in the study were the spider mites, Tetrunychus spp.; western flower thrips, Frunkliniella occidentulis (Pergande); big-eyed bugs, Geocoris pullens StAl and G. punctipes (Say); and the minute pirate bug, Orius tristicolor (White). Association patterns were modeled using a log-linear statistical model. Co-occurrence patterns for most species pairs were significantly nonrandom and mostly positive and were seen to change over the season. In general, associations tended to become increasingly positive (or less negative) as the season progressed. Pesticide treat- ments (dicofol, permethrin) were not found to affect associations. Observed spatial asso- ciation patterns fit the known biological relationships of the species.
Virtual Virgins and Vamps: The Effects of Exposure to Female Characters’ Sexualized Appearance and Gaze in an Immersive Virtual Environment

This experiment exposed a sample of U.S. undergraduates (43 men, 40 women) to suggestively or conservatively clad virtual females who exhibited either responsive, high eye gaze or nonresponsive, low gaze in an immersive virtual environment. Outside the virtual world, men and women who encountered a highly stereotypical character—a suggestively clad, high gaze agent (“vamp”) or conservatively clad, low gaze character (“virgin”)—demonstrated more sexism and greater rape myth acceptance than participants who saw a suggestively clad nonresponsive or conservatively clad, responsive character. Results suggest that gender-stereotypical virtual females enhance negative attitudes toward women, whereas those that violate expectations and break stereotypes do not.
The Modifying Effect of Social Class on the Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Breast Cancer Incidence

Objectives. We sought to determine whether social class modifies the effect of BMI on breast cancer incidence.Methods. Participants included 5642 postmenopausal White women recruited in 1989 to CLUE II, a prospective cohort study in Washington County, Maryland. We obtained exposure data from CLUE II and the 1990 US Census. We used survival and random-effects Cox proportional hazards analyses to determine the association of social class and BMI with breast cancer incidence.Results. Education was independently associated with increased risk of breast cancer incidence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01, 1.11; P < .05); contextual measures of social class were not. Education modified the effect of BMI at age 21 years (HR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.97, 0.99); area-level social class modified the effect of BMI at baseline (HR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.94, 0.99) and BMI change (HR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.95, 1.00). Subpopulation analyses that were adjusted for hormone use, parity, and breast-feeding foun...
Effects of Calcium on Growth of Physarum polycephalum

Abstract. Physarum polycephalum, a slime mold typically found in decaying plant vegetation, is a member of the class/superclass Myxogastridae. P. polycephalum moves through cytoplasmic streaming due to the interaction between actin and myosin within the walls of its plasmodial tubes. Although early studies indicated that calcium has an excitatory effect on growth, more recent studies showed that the effect of calcium on growth is inhibitory. To determine the direction of the effect of calcium on the growth of P. polycephalum, the organism was grown on agar strips containing various concentrations of CaCl2 for a 72-hour period. Growth was monitored every 24 hours. During the first 48 hours of growth, calcium significantly increased the growth of P. polycephalum. However, in the next 24-hour interval, calcium significantly decreased the growth of the organism. In addition, as the CaCl2 concentration increased, both the enhancement and inhibition of growth became greater. This suggests that the initial effec...
Comparative vegetative anatomy of Stanhopeinae (Orchidaceae)

Abstract Stanhopeinae are a group of tropical American orchids characterized by euglossine bee pollination and lateral inflorescences stemming from the bases of pseudobulbs. Leaves are hypostomatal, and all stomatal configurations are tetracytic. Chlorenchyma is homogeneous and characterized by fibre bundles in adaxial/abaxial or adaxial/median/abaxial positions. Collateral vascular bundles occur in a single row and feature phloic and xylic sclerenchymatous caps and thin-walled bundle sheath cells. Fibre bundles and vascular sclerenchyma are accompanied by stegmata containing conical silica bodies. Pseudobulbs have thick-walled turbinate epidermal cells and ground tissue of smaller, living assimilatory cells and larger, dead water-storage cells. Fibre bundles are usually absent but occur in several genera. Collateral vascular bundles show phloic sclerenchyma, but xylic sclerenchyma occurs only in the larger vascular bundles. Phloic and xylic sclerenchyma are associated with stegmata containing conical silica bodies. Roots are velamentous. Velamen cell walls have fine, spiral thickenings. Exodermal cells are thin-walled. The cortex features scattered thick-walled cells and in some cases branched bars of secondary cell wall material. Endodermis is either ∪- or ○-thickened, but pericycle is always ○-thickened opposite the phloem. Vascular tissue consists of alternating strands of xylem and phloem surrounded by a matrix of thick-walled cells. Pith cells may be parenchymatous or sclerenchymatous.
Purification and properties of a fibrinogenase from the venom of Naja nigricollis

A fibrinogenolytic proteinase from the venom of Naja nigricollis was purified by chromatography on Bio-Rex 70 and Phenyl-Sepharose. The purified enzyme, designated proteinase F1, was homogeneous by the criterion of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and consisted of a single chain with a molecular weight of 58,000. Purified proteinase F1 had approximately 15-fold more proteinase activity than the crude venom, based on its ability to inactivate alpha 2-macroglobulin. The enzyme acted on only the A alpha-chain of fibrinogen and left the B beta- and gamma-chains intact. The pH optimum for this fibrinogenolytic activity was in the range of pH 8 to 10. In addition to its activity on fibrinogen, proteinase F1 was active on alpha 2-macroglobulin and fibrinonectin, but did not degrade casein, hemoglobin or bovine serum albumin. The enzyme was not inhibited by inhibitors of serine proteinases, cysteine proteinases or acid proteinases, but only by the metalloproteinase inhibitor, EDTA. The inhibition by EDTA could be prevented by Zn2+, but not by Ca2+ or Mg2+.
X-Ray Texture Analysis of Oriented PZT Thin Films

PZT thin films with the composition Pb(Zr 0.6 Ti 0 4 )O 3 were processed via metallo-organic decomposition (MOD) with {111} and {100} orientations. Ferroelectric measurements showed that the {111} and {100} oriented films had remanent polarizations of 19.5 μC/cm 2 and 16 μC/cm 2 , respectively. Both x-ray pole figure analysis and the Harris texture index were used to quantify the degree of {100}, {110}, and {111} orientation in each film, with reasonable agreement between the two methods. The {100} oriented thin film was determined to be 582 times random for the Harris technique versus 522 times random for pole figure analysis, while the {111} oriented film was 41 times random for the Harris technique and 81 times random for pole figure analysis. The axisymmetric texture of the films allow 2-D pole figure analysis to provide a quantitative characterization of film texture.
Volvulus of the colon in a Cat

Summary We report the first case of colonic volvulus in a cat. A 12-year old spayed, female domestic shorthair cat with chronic bowel disease presentated with one-day history of lethargy and anorexia. Physical examination abnormalities included cachexia, poor perfusion, and poor skin turgor. A large, non painful, gas-filled, tubular structure, occupying the majority of the abdominal cavity was noted by palpation. Abdominal radiographs revealed a gas-filled displaced colon. Exploratory laparotomy confirmed a volvulus at the root of the colonic mysetery, along with a partial torsion of the distal colon. The majority of the colon was determined to be necrotic and was surgically resected. Due to persistent hypotension and perceived poor prognosis, the cat was euthanized.
On the list and bounded distance decodibility of Reed-Solomon codes

For an error-correcting code and a distance bound, the list decoding problem is to compute all the codewords within a given distance to a received message. The bounded distance decoding problem is to find one codeword if there is at least one codeword within the given distance, or to output the empty set if there is not. Obviously the bounded distance decoding problem is not as hard as the list decoding problem. For a Reed-Solomon code [n, k]/sup q/, a simple counting argument shows that for any integer 0 0. We show that the discrete logarithm problem over F/sub qh/ can be efficiently reduced by a randomized algorithm to the bounded distance decoding problem of the Reed-Solomon code [q, g - h]/sub q/ with radius q - g. These results show that the decoding problems for the Reed-Solomon code are at least as hard as the discrete logarithm problem over finite fields. The main tools to obtain these results are an interesting connection between the problem of list-decoding of Reed-Solomon code and the problem of discrete logarithm over finite fields, and a generalization of Katz's theorem on representations of elements in an extension finite field by products of distinct linear factors.
Public Deliberation, Affirmative Action, and the Supreme Court

In this Essay, I make a simple and somewhat impressionistic argument. I start with the suggestion that the issue of affirmative action should be settled democratically, not judicially. Certainly the Supreme Court should not invalidate most race-conscious remedial programs. But until recently, there has been little or no sustained democratic deliberation on the issue. The citizenry's ambivalence about-or hostility toward-affirmative action has been expressed mostly in private and not in public arenas. The enormous diversity of affirmative action programs, not to mention the separable justifications for and variable efficacy of each program, has not received much public attention. Some programs work well; some do not; and neither empirical data nor public judgments about their content and value have been reflected in program design. In these circumstances, the Supreme Court's apparently odd behavior-its meandering course, its refusal to issue rules-in the affirmative action context might be defended as performing a valuable catalytic function. The Court's willingness to hear a number of affirmative action cases, and its complex, rule-free, highly casuisticalI opinions, have had the salutary consequence of helping to stimulate public processes and directing the citizenry toward open discussion of underlying questions of policy and principle. In these ways, the Court's route has been far preferable to the most obvious alternatives: validation or invalidation of most affirmative action programs pursuant to clear doctrinal categories.
Distinct Role of Macrophages in Different Tumor Microenvironments

Macrophages are prominent in the stromal compartment of virtually all types of malignancy. These highly versatile cells respond to the presence of stimuli in different parts of tumors with the release of a distinct repertoire of growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and enzymes that regulate tumor growth, angiogenesis, invasion, and/or metastasis. The distinct microenvironments where tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) act include areas of invasion where TAMs promote cancer cell motility, stromal and perivascular areas where TAMs promote metastasis, and avascular and perinecrotic areas where hypoxic TAMs stimulate angiogenesis. This review will discuss the evidence for differential regulation of TAMs in these microenvironments and provide an overview of current attempts to target or use TAMs for therapeutic purposes. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(2): 605-12)
Modification of Carbon Xerogel Electrodes for More Efficient Asymmetric Capacitive Deionization

Since a capacitive deionization (CDI) cell is a type of electrochemical device, its performance will be limited by the electrode with a weaker ion-adsorption. A cyclic voltmmogram for a freshly prepared carbon xerogel (CX) electrode showed Na+ adsorption at the cathodic branch is not as favorable as Cl− adsorption at the anodic branch in a ∼4 mM (∼233 ppm) NaCl solution. To balance this performance, the CX electrode was specifically modified by coating with SiO2 particles and by the formation of surface –COOH groups from oxidation. It was observed that these modifications cannot only increase the cathodic current density but also adjust the location of the potential of zero charge (PZC) for the CX electrode, resulting in the enhancment of Na+ adsorption. In CDI tests, electrosorption performance showed that cells with modified negative CX electrodes had much higher electrosorption capacities, e.g., at 1.2 V, electrosorption capacity for the modified electrodes increased by 36–50% in comparison to that for the unmodified CX negative electrode. This improvement of electrosorption performance is attributed to both an increase in total charge passed through the cell and the adjustment of the PZC leading to diminished co-ion repulsion. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.111309jes] All rights reserved.
Panel of Prototypical Raltegravir-Resistant Infectious Molecular Clones in a Novel Integrase-Deleted Cloning Vector

We created an HIV-1 cloning vector, pNL4.3ΔIN, to generate recombinant infectious molecular clones for analysis of patient-derived HIV-1 integrase coding regions. Using this vector, we constructed a panel of clinically derived viruses with the canonical patterns of raltegravir resistance mutations and submitted the panel to the NIH AIDS Research and Reference Reagent Program. Investigational integrase inhibitors with activity against these clones are likely to retain activity against the most clinically relevant raltegravir-resistant variants.
Usage testing of military simulation systems

Scalability and input domain explosion make it impossible to exhaustively test simulation systems. Improved methods such as statistical usage testing are needed to provide quantitative support for test planning and test management. This paper describes the challenges and the state! of the practice of testing simulation systems. A brief introduction to statistical usage testing is provided. An approach to developing an abstract usage model structure appropriate for testing military simulation systems is suggested and illustrated. This approach supports the creation and analysis of test scenarios that are flexible enough to handle a wide range of uses in military simulations.
Hyperpolarized 13C Spectroscopy and an NMR-Compatible Bioreactor System for the Investigation of Real-Time Cellular Metabolism

The purpose of this study was to combine a three-dimensional NMR-compatible bioreactor with hyperpolarized 13C NMR spectroscopy in order to probe cellular metabolism in real time. JM1 (immortalized rat hepatoma) cells were cultured in a three-dimensional NMR-compatible fluidized bioreactor. 31P spectra were acquired before and after each injection of hyperpolarized [1-13C] pyruvate and subsequent 13C spectroscopy at 11.7 T. 1H and two-dimensional 1H-1H-total correlation spectroscopy spectra were acquired from extracts of cells grown in uniformly labeled 13C-glucose, on a 16.4 T, to determine 13C fractional enrichment and distribution of 13C label. JM1 cells were found to have a high rate of aerobic glycolysis in both two-dimensional culture and in the bioreactor, with 85% of the 13C label from uniformly labeled 13C-glucose being present as either lactate or alanine after 23 h. Flux measurements of pyruvate through lactate dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase in the bioreactor system were 12.18 ± 0.49 nmols/sec/108 cells and 2.39 ± 0.30 nmols/sec/108 cells, respectively, were reproducible in the same bioreactor, and were not significantly different over the course of 2 days. Although this preliminary study involved immortalized cells, this combination of technologies can be extended to the real-time metabolic exploration of primary benign and cancerous cells and tissues prior to and after therapy. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Thin-film synthesis of the high-Tc oxide superconductor YBa2Cu3O7 by electron-beam codeposition

The successful synthesis of high-Tc YBa2Cu3O7 films by means of electron-beam codeposition are reported. Several important growth parameters have been surveyed in a preliminary way. The substrates investigated include Al2O3, ZrO2, MgO, and SrTiO3, The films were characterized by resistivity measurements, x-ray diffraction, microprobe, and Rutherford backscattering analysis. Some TEM and critical current density studies were also carried out. The best results to date have been obtained on SrTiO3 substrates with which polycrystalline epitaxial growth has been achieved. Resistive superconducting transitions with zero resistance at 89.5 K and a 2 K width have been observed in these films.
Neural Network Application to Diagnostics and Control of Vehicle Control Systems

Diagnosis of faults in complex, real-time control systems is a complicated task that has resisted solution by traditional methods. We have shown that neural networks can be successfully employed to diagnose faults in digitally controlled powertrain systems. This paper discusses the means we use to develop the appropriate databases for training and testing in order to select the optimum network architectures and to provide reasonable estimates of the classification accuracy of these networks on new samples of data. Recent work applying neural nets to adaptive control of an active suspension system is presented.
Shortness of breath, weak pulses—and a high ESR

In October, 2005, a 69-year-old woman reported that she was prone to breathlessness during exertion, particularly when using her arms. She was fatigued even at rest. She also reported shoulder pain, and widespread morning stiff ness. Her weight had decreased by 5 kg. Her problems had begun 2 months before, and worsened gradually. She took naproxen and celecoxib alternately for osteoarthritis, in addition to paracetamol, but found these drugs ineff ective against the shoulder pain. She also had asthma, for which she inhaled a compound preparation of fl uticasone and salmeterol—which did not reduce the breathlessness caused by physical activity. She took thyroxine and famotidine for hypothyroidism and gastro-oesophageal refl ux disease respectively. She had several risk factors for heart disease: hypertension, which was treated with spironolactone and valsartan; cigarette smoking (although she had given up in 1975); impaired fasting glucose; and a family history of heart disease—her mother had had a myocardial infarction at only 57 years of age. The patient’s blood pressure was 128/70 mm Hg in her right arm, but could not be obtained on the left. The left brachial and radial pulses were weak. Findings on examination were otherwise unremarkable; notably, no bruits were heard. The ESR was 103 mm/h, and the concentration of C-reactive protein 87·9 mg/L; blood test results were otherwise unremarkable, except that the cholesterol concentration had decreased from 5·5 mmol/L, in January, 2005, to 3·7 mmol/L, without intervention. Chest radiography and spirometry showed no abnormalities; however, a methacholine challenge reduced the forced expiratory volume in 1 s by 22%—a fi nding consistent with asthma. Although a resting electrocardiogram (ECG) showed nothing abnormal, on stress testing the patient developed chest pain, and the ST segment was depressed by 2 mm, returning to normal after 5 min of rest; echocardiography showed exerciseinduced hypokinesis of the inferior wall. Angiography showed normal coronary arteries, but a long stenosis of the left subclavian artery. On fl uorodeoxyglucose PET (FDG-PET), FDG uptake, signifying infl ammation, was high in the aortic arch and throughout the large arteries, including the subclavian, internal carotid, and brachiocephalic arteries (fi gure). There was no evidence of malignancy. The patient was treated with prednisolone (30 mg daily), and her fatigue and breathlessness on exertion diminished within 2 days. After 2 months of treatment, her ESR was 9 mm/h, and she was asymptomatic. On repeated stress testing, the patient had no symptoms or signs of myocardial ischaemia. The systemic symptoms, weak pulses, high ESR, and fi ndings on PET and angiography were consistent with extracranial giant-cell arteritis (GCA), as was the rapid response to steroid treatment. In up to 27% of patients with GCA, the large arteries are aff ected—which can cause aortic dissection, ruptured aortic aneurysm, cardiac ischaemia, and, rarely, myocardial infarction. However, cardiac eff ects of extracranial GCA are easily overlooked.
Leukemia and lymphoma: a cost of doing business for adaptive immunity

According to the old adage, "you don't get something for nothing." This is certainly the case for the novel genetic mechanisms involved in adaptive immunity-V(D)J recombination, class-switch recombination (CSR), and somatic hypermutation (SHM). These mechanisms allow animals to respond with great specificity to a seemingly limitless array of rapidly evolving microbes and their products while investing a relatively small amount of genetic capacity. The cost, however, is genomic instability and its potential contribution to malignancy. A majority of B- and T-cell leukemias and lymphomas are associated with chromosomal abnormalities that bear the hallmarks of aberrant V(D)J or class-switch recombination. In addition, there are examples of B-cell lymphomas with point mutations in proto-oncogenes consistent with a role for SHM. Recent work has led to an increasingly detailed understanding of the biochemistry of V(D)J recombination, CSR, and SHM. Attention is now being focused on precisely how these reactions contribute to genomic instability and cancer. A report by Reddy et al. (2006) in this issue of Genes & Development describes the use of a novel assay to measure the frequency of DNA transposition that occurs as a byproduct of V(D)J recombination. This and other approaches should allow for the identification of conditions that predispose people to leukemia and lymphoma and the genetic pathways that minimize this risk.
A Temporal View of Soft Tissue Quantitative Ultrasound

Abstract The objective of soft tissue quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is to improve diagnostic ultrasound imaging capabilities via quantitative outcomes. Over the past three or so decades, there have been an increasing number of QUS successes. A temporal view moves us back in history almost six decades when techniques and theoretical developments were in their earliest stages that impacted modern QUS successes. The earliest theoretical developments and techniques some six decades ago can be attributed to Lev Chernov, Philip Morse, Herman Feshbach, Uno Ingard, John Wild and Jack Reid. Later, Floyd Dunn developed important views as to how connective tissue affected the interaction between ultrasound and soft tissue. Then, as the theory of wave propagation in soft tissues with random inhomogeneities was extended and applied by Fred Lizzi, Jim Zagzebski and Mike Insana (and their colleagues), contemporary QUS successes started to emerge.