cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DISEASE RECURRENCE IN BLACK AND WHITE MEN UNDERGOING RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY FOR CLINICAL STAGE T1-T2 PROSTATE CANCER

Purpose:: The reported incidence and mortality of prostate cancer are higher among black than white men. Reasons for the disproportionate racial incidence of this disease are not known but most surveys suggest that increased mortality among black men is due to more advanced tumor stage at diagnosis. To determine if racial differences exist in men with similar stage disease we compared disease recurrence in black and white men who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinical stage T1-T2 prostate cancer.Materials and Methods:: We reviewed the records of all 257 white and 218 black men undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinical stage T1-T2 prostate cancer at the Louisiana State University Medical Center-Shreveport and the Overton-Brooks Veterans Affairs Medical Center between January 1990 and November 1998. Age, race, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), ultrasound measured prostate volume, PSA density (PSA divided by prostate volume), histological features of the prostate biopsy, clinical stage, pathol...
The application of magnetic resonance imaging for the preoperative localization of nonpalpable testis in obese children: an alternative to laparoscopy.

Tennenbaum et al reported more than 95% success for laparoscopic examination, which has supplanted other diagnostic modalities for locating nonpalpable cryptorchid testes. 1 The open Hasson technique for pediatric laparoscopy has emerged as a preferred method at many institutions because of its lower complication rate. However, it may be difficult to perform this procedure in obese children. We report 2 cases in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accurately localized testes and provided an efficient algorithm for management while avoiding a potentially arduous procedure. CASE REPORTS Case 1. D. P., a 6-year-old obese male, presented to our pediatric urology service for management of a left undescended testis. Physical examination revealed a markedly obese boy weighing 69.5 kg. (50th percentile equal to 20 kg.). The scrotum contained a normally palpable right testis and but the left testis was not palpated. Body habitus and prepubertal status made palpation of a canalicular testis difficult. Pelvic MRI using coronal T1 images identified the testicle in the left inguinal canal (fig. 1). Orchiopexy performed via the standard inguinal approach was uneventful. Case 2. A. B., a 19-year-old markedly obese male weighing 115 kg. presented with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and delayed puberty. Male karyotype was normal (46XY), and luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were less than 2 mg./dl. each (normal 0.2 to 8.0 and 0.5 to 5.3, respectively). The patient responded well to testosterone replacement. Physical examination demonstrated an empty hypoplastic scrotum. No testis was palpable in either inguinal canal and assessment was difficult due to body habitus. Ultrasound was not helpful but pelvic MRI clearly identified the testes in the inguinal canal bilaterally (fig. 2). A low Pfannenstiel incision facilitated exposure and mobilization of each testis to the scrotum without difficulty. DISCUSSION Laparoscopy for nonpalpable undescended testis is a safe and simple method of diagnosis with an accuracy of 95% to 100%. 1 Laparoscopy may be done not only for localizing, but
An unusual case of calciphylaxis.

Background: Cutaneous calciphylaxis is a rare disorder that occurs most frequently in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), those on hemodialysis, and renal transplant recipients. It is frequently associated with hyperparathyroidism and a markedly elevated calcium–phosphate product, and it carries a high mortality rate. The usual clinical presentation is of painful, stellate necrosis of the thighs or buttocks, often in the setting of livedo reticularis. Death usually results from septicemia. Objective: This report documents an unusual case of recurrent, self-limiting calciphylaxis in the setting of a patient with ESRD and discusses the clinical and pathologic features of this potentially very fatal disorder. Methods and Results: A 52-year-old woman presented with a greater than one-year history of relapsing and remitting, exquisitely painful, necrotic, numular plaques on the abdomen, breast, and arm. This patient had a markedly elevated calcium–phosphate product and parathyroid hormone level. The diagnosis of calciphylaxis was made by wedge biopsy of the most recent plaque, revealing calcification of medium-sized subcutaneous vessels and lobular capillaries with associated epidermal necrosis. Conclusions: This case demonstrates an unusual clinical variant of calciphylaxis that presented without the characteristic stellate necrosis or livedo reticularis that normally marks this condition and spontaneous resolution without incurring septicemia. Regardless of morphology, calciphylaxis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of painful, necrotic lesions occurring in the setting of ESRD.
Crustal and uppermost mantle structure along the Deep Probe seismic profile

The Rocky Mountain region has undergone a complex tectonic history that includes Proterozoic accretion to form the North American craton, late Paleozoic deformation, Cretaceous to early Tertiary shortening, and Oligocene to Recent extension. Understanding the effects of these events on lithospheric structure was the primary goal of the Deep Probe seismic experiment. This is a lithospheric-scale study of the Rocky Mountain region that attempted to image crust and upper mantle structures up to 500 km depth to provide insights on the effect of various tectonic events on today's continental structure. To accomplish this goal, instruments were deployed along a 2400-km-long transect from New Mexico to Canada to record explosions 10 times more powerful than those employed in conventional crustal studies. The Deep Probe results provide new constraints on the location and geometry of the Archean–Proterozoic boundary near the Colorado–Wyoming border, as well as new information on crustal thickness, and uppermost mantle velocities along the profile. Geophysical modeling of the profile used well log and geologic data to evaluate the composition and structure of the uppermost crust. Seismic refraction and reflection, gravity, and receiver function studies were employed to constrain properties of the lower crust and upper mantle structure. The final model shows that seismic velocities along the Deep Probe profile range from 3.5 km/s in the basins to over 8.2 km/s in the upper mantle. At the southern end of the profile, the model indicates a crustal thickness of about 35 km beneath the Basin and Range province. The crust gradually thickens to about 40 to 45 km going north along the profile into the Colorado Plateau. An area of 50 km-thick crust under northwestern Colorado may reflect Proterozoic tectonism related to the suture zone between the Archean and Proterozoic terranes. Northwestward thinning of the crust to about 40 km under southern Wyoming is interpreted as evidence for a relict (2.0 Ga) passive continental margin. The crust in the Archean Wyoming province thickens to over 50 km going north, and then thins again under southern Canada. This thickening is due to a lowermost crustal layer that is about 20 km thick and is confined to the Archean Wyoming province. This lower crustal layer has velocities ranging from 7.05 to 7.3 km/s, which corresponds to a mafic composition. Thus, this layer is interpreted as mafic material that was probably underplated during the Archean. The uppermost mantle of the Archean Wyoming province has lower velocities (∼8.1 km/s) on average than typical cratonal areas, which is consistent with it being located in and adjacent to the North American Cordillera, which has undergone significant recent tectonism.
Polarization of water near dipolar surfaces : A simple model for anomalous dielectric behavior

A model for the electrostatic interactions in water in the vicinity of a surface is suggested, which accounts, within the Poisson-Boltzmann mean field approach, for the screening of the charges and for the coupling interactions between neighboring dipoles. When the water molecules near a solid surface are assumed to be organized in icelike layers, the polarization is not a continuous function but exists only at the discrete positions of the water molecules. The particular positions of the water molecules in the icelike structure govern the manner in which the average water dipoles align with each other. On the basis of this model, one could explain the nonmonotonic behavior of the polarization and the electrical potential as well as the anomalous dielectric response of water (the nonproportionality of the polarization and the macroscopic electric field), which were obtained recently via molecular dynamics simulations.
A decision support system for electric utilities: compliance with Clean Air Act

Abstract The Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments established an absolute national limit for sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by the year 2000. The Act is based on a market-oriented system under which power plants will be granted `emission allowances', each of which grants the right to emit a ton of SO2 into the atmosphere. Utilities that reduce their emissions below their allocated allowances may sell the additional allowances in what will presumably be a developing market. Utilities are free to choose how to comply with the Act, but a few generally recognized options are likely to form the basis for compliance strategies. While the options are known, the costs of implementing the options are not known with certainty. Each utility will need to determine the lowest cost, most effective strategy given its current configuration and generation requirements. The compliance strategy decision must also be presented and defended to the appropriate Public Utility Commission (PUC). This paper outlines a prototype decision support system (DSS) using an optimization engine integrated with a database to help aid utilities in making decisions regarding their compliance strategy. This DSS was created specifically with a mid-western utility company in mind; however, it is generic enough to be useful to any utility. The results obtained using the DSS are very encouraging. The decisions supported by it are consistent with those offered by experts in the industry. The DSS promises to be a very useful tool for strategic planning related to CAA compliance.
Estimates of heterocyclic amine intake in the US population.

HA-specific meat concentration estimates using a method that combines laboratory data to predict HA concentrations from meat type, cooking method and meat doneness were used with national dietary data to estimate daily HA intake for segments of the US population. PhIP was found to comprise approximately 70% of US mean dietary intake of total HAs, with pan-frying and chicken being the single cooking method and meat type contributing the greatest to total estimated HA exposures. This analysis demonstrated significantly higher concentrations in grilled/barbecued meats than in other cooked meats. African-American males were estimated to consume nearly twofold and approximately 35 to 40% more PhIP (and total HAs) than white males at ages 30 years, respectively.
Deposition of Thin Polymeric Films from Liquid Carbon Dioxide Using a High-Pressure Free-Meniscus Coating Process

Free-meniscus coating processes can be used to deposit a wide variety of coatings. However, the physical properties of the coating solutions often lead to the deposition of nonuniform films. Recently, it has been recognized that compressed carbon dioxide can be used as an environmentally benign solvent for industrial processes. We investigate the use of liquid carbon dioxide as the solvent in free-meniscus coating processes because its physical properties are much different from standard coating solvents. The surface tension and viscosity of liquid carbon dioxide are an order of magnitude smaller than those of typical solvents. Additionally, the density of liquid carbon dioxide is strongly dependent on temperature and pressure. The Tallmadge four-force inertial theory is used to demonstrate that these unique physical properties will result in the formation of thinner films at the same withdrawal velocities as those used with conventional solvents. We then demonstrate experimentally that process variables ...
A graph theoretic approach to matrix inversion by partitioning

LetM be a square matrix whose entries are in some field. Our object is to find a permutation matrixP such thatPM P ?1 is completely reduced, i.e., is partitioned in block triangular form, so that all submatrices below its diagonal are 0 and all diagonal submatrices are square and irreducible. LetA be the binary (0, 1) matrix obtained fromM by preserving the 0's ofM and replacing the nonzero entries ofM by 1's. ThenA may be regarded as the adjacency matrix of a directed graphD. CallD strongly connected orstrong if any two points ofD are mutually reachable by directed paths. Astrong component ofD is a maximal strong subgraph. Thecondensation D * ofD is that digraph whose points are the strong components ofD and whose lines are induced by those ofD. By known methods, we constructD * from the digraph,D whose adjacency matrixA was obtained from the original matrixM. LetA * be the adjacency matrix ofD *. It is easy to show that there exists a permutation matrixQ such thatQA * Q ?1 is an upper triangular matrix. The determination of an appropriate permutation matrixP from this matrixQ is straightforward.
Incidence and characteristics of snakebite envenomations in the New York state between 2000 and 2010.

Objective We sought to evaluate the incidence of reported venomous snakebites in the state of New York between 2000 and 2010. Methods Data were collected retrospectively from the National Poison Data System (NPDS) and then reviewed for species identification and clinical outcome while using proxy measures to determine incidence of envenomation. Results From 2000 to 2010 there were 473 snakebites reported to the 5 Poison Control Centers in the state of New York. Venomous snakes accounted for 14.2% (67 of 473) of these bites. Only 35 bites (7%) required antivenom. The median age of those bitten by a venomous snake was 33. Most victims were male. Conclusions Although not rare, venomous snakebites do not occur commonly in New York State, with a mean of just 7 bites per year; fortunately most snakebites reported are from nonvenomous snakes. Yet even nonvenomous bites have the potential to cause moderately severe outcomes. Medical providers in the state should be aware of their management.
A fully integrated, 300pJ/bit, dual mode wireless transceiver for cm-range interconnects

A transceiver aimed at ultra-short range wireless links uses a dual-mode architecture to achieve interference robustness at ultra-low power. The receiver uses a direct-AM detection architecture combined with a high-pass baseband filter to suppress out-of-band interferers, but is reconfigured to use a mixer-high-pass filter cascade designed to suppress in-band blockers based on a real-time BER estimate. The system consumes 300uW at 1MBps (1.75mW at 16 Mbps) and can operate with a worst-case SIR of 13dB (referred to peak power).
Neighborhood Amenities and Mobility in Older Adults

Diversity of neighborhood amenities may promote the mobility of older adults. A 2010 community-based sample of 510 adults aged ≥65 years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and geospatial data from the Esri Business Analyst database (Esri, Inc., Redlands, California) were used to assess associations of neighborhood amenity diversity with mobility. Neighborhoods were defined by census tract, and diversity of amenities was derived by using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's neighborhood development index (US Green Building Council, Washington, DC). Generalized estimating equations adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and neighborhood characteristics were used to estimate differences in mobility score by tertile of amenity diversity. Analyses were stratified by participants' routine travel habits (stayed at home, stayed in home zip code, or traveled beyond home zip code). We found that for those who spent most of their time in their home neighborhoods, mobility scores (from the Life-Space Assessment, which ranges from 0 to 104 points) were 8.3 points higher (95% confidence interval: 0.1, 16.6) among those who lived in neighborhoods with the most amenity diversity compared with those who lived in neighborhoods with the least amenity diversity. No significant associations between amenity diversity and mobility were observed for those who did not leave home or who regularly traveled outside their neighborhoods. Neighborhoods with a high diversity of amenities may be important promoters of mobility in older adults who do not routinely travel outside their neighborhoods.
What’s in a mashup? And why? Studying the perceptions of web-active end users

Mashups - Web applications that integrate multiple data sources or APIs into one interface - have attracted considerable attention in recent years. The availability of Web-based APIs and a growing array of XML data feeds has enabled this novel approach to Web applications. However, due to the relatively advanced programming languages needed to integrate the Web APIs and data feeds, mashup development still requires considerable programming expertise. In this paper we share the results of an exploratory study of active Web users, their perceptions of what mashups could do for them and how they might be created. These users engage in many Internet-based activities but not Web programming. Our results show that the technology initiative present in these users is a predictor of the value they see in mashups and the types of mashups they are interested in creating. While they may lack the programming skills, the users do see benefit in the use and creation of mashups as a tool for sharing and integrating information, as well as a means of effectively searching for information.
Factors Controlling Navigation-Channel Shoaling in Laguna Madre, Texas

Shoaling in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway of Laguna Madre, Texas, is caused primarily by recycling of dredged sediments. Sediment recycling, which is controlled by water depth and location with respect to the predominant wind driven currents, is minimal where dredged material is placed on tidal flats that are either flooded infrequently or where the water is extremely shallow. In contrast, nearly all of the dredged material placed in open water >1.5 m deep is reworked and either transported back into the channel or dispersed into the surrounding lagoon. A sediment flux analysis incorporating geotechnical properties demonstrated that erosion and not postemplacement compaction caused most sediment losses from the placement areas. Comparing sediment properties in the placement areas and natural lagoon indicated that the remaining dredged material is mostly a residual of initial channel construction. Experimental containment designs constructed in high maintenance areas to reduce reworking did not retain large volumes of dredged material. The mergent levee provided the greatest retention potential approximately 2 years after construction.
Three-Dimensional Architecture of the Isolated Yeast Nuclear Pore Complex: Functional and Evolutionary Implications

We have calculated a three-dimensional map of the yeast nuclear pore complex (yNPC) from frozen-hydrated specimens, thereby providing a direct comparison with the vertebrate NPC. Overall, the smaller yNPC is comprised of an octagonal inner spoke ring that is anchored within the nuclear envelope by a novel membrane-interacting ring. In addition, a cylindrical transporter is located centrally within the spokes and exhibits a variable radial expansion in projection that may reflect gating. The inner spoke ring, a transmembrane spoke domain, and the transporter are conserved between yeast and vertebrates; hence, they are required to form a functional NPC. However, significant alterations in NPC architecture have arisen during evolution that may be correlated with differences in nuclear transport regulation or mitotic behavior.
Theories with recursive models

A structure is recursive if the set of quantifier-free sentences in the complete diagram ⊿() of is recursive. It has been known for some time that every decidable theory has a recursive model. In fact, every decidable theory has a decidable model (that is a model such that ⊿() is recursive). In this paper we find other conditions which imply that a theory have a recursive model.In §1 we study the relation between an ℵ0-categorical theory T having a recursive model and the complexity of the quantificational hierarchy of that theory. We let ∃0 denote the set of quantifier-free sentences, and let ∃n÷1 denote the set of sentences beginning with an existential quantifier and having n alternations of quantifiers. (∀n is defined analogously.) Then we show that if T is an arithmetical ℵ0-categorical theory such that T ⋂ ∃n÷2 is Σn÷10 for each n < ω, then T has a recursive model. We show that this is a best possible result by giving an example of a ⊿n÷20 ℵ0-categorical theory T such that T ⋂ ∃n÷1 is recursive yet T has no recursive model.In §2 we consider the theory of trees. Ershov [1] had proved that every Σ10 theory of trees has a recursive model. We show this to be best possible by giving an example of a ⊿20 theory of trees which has no recursive model.
DHC: a density-based hierarchical clustering method for time series gene expression data

Clustering the time series gene expression data is an important task in bioinformatics research and biomedical applications. Recently, some clustering methods have been adapted or proposed. However, some concerns still remain, such as the robustness of the mining methods, as well as the quality and the interpretability of the mining results. In this paper, we tackle the problem of effectively clustering time series gene expression data by proposing algorithm DHC, a density-based, hierarchical clustering method. We use a density-based approach to identify the clusters such that the clustering results are of high quality and robustness. Moreover, the mining result is in the form of a density tree, which uncovers the embedded clusters in a data set. The inner-structures, the borders and the outliers of the clusters can be further investigated using the attraction tree, which is an intermediate result of the mining. By these two trees, the internal structure of the data set can be visualized effectively. Our empirical evaluation using some real-world data sets show that the method is effective, robust and scalable. It matches the ground truth provided by bioinformatics experts very well in the sample data sets.
Guiding the design and application of new materials for enhancing sustainability performance: Framework and infrastructure application

This paper presents a framework for guiding the design of new materials to enhance the sustainability of systems that utilize these materials throughout their production, use and retirement. Traditionally, materials engineering has focused on the interplay between material microstructure, physical properties, processing, and performance. Environmental impacts related to the system’s life cycle are not well integrated into the materials engineering process. To address this shortcoming, a new methodology has been developed that incorporates social, economic, and environmental indicators – the three dimensions of sustainability. The proposed framework accomplishes this task and provides a critical tool for use across a broad class of materials and applications. Material properties strongly shape and control sustainability performance throughout each life cycle stage including materials production, manufacturing, use and end-of-life management. Key material parameters that influence life cycle energy, emissions, and costs are highlighted. The proposed framework is demonstrated in the design of engineered cementitious composites, which are materials being developed for civil infrastructure applications including bridges, roads, pipe and buildings. This research is part of an NSF MUSES (Materials Use: Science, Engineering and Society) Biocomplexity project on sustainable concrete infrastructure materials and systems (http://sci.umich.edu).
Boosted MMI for model and feature-space discriminative training

We present a modified form of the maximum mutual information (MMI) objective function which gives improved results for discriminative training. The modification consists of boosting the likelihoods of paths in the denominator lattice that have a higher phone error relative to the correct transcript, by using the same phone accuracy function that is used in Minimum Phone Error (MPE) training. We combine this with another improvement to our implementation of the Extended Baum-Welch update equations for MMI, namely the canceling of any shared part of the numerator and denominator statistics on each frame (a procedure that is already done in MPE). This change affects the Gaussian-specific learning rate. We also investigate another modification whereby we replace I-smoothing to the ML estimate with I-smoothing to the previous iteration's value. Boosted MMI gives better results than MPE in both model and feature-space discriminative training, although not consistently.
Tie-ing the Antiinflammatory Effect of Angiopoietin-1 to Inhibition of NF-κB

Activation of the vascular endothelium occurs in many clinical scenarios such as inflammatory or infectious conditions (sepsis), reperfusion injury, and transplant graft rejection.1–5 Under such circumstances, endothelial activation is primarily induced by cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and vascular permeability factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that upregulate a number of genes including prothrombotic factors, chemokines, and cell adhesion molecules, many of which are dependent on the action of the pleiotropic transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB).2,6–11 Activated endothelium is compromised in its structural and functional integrity, leading to transmigration of leukocytes into the vessel wall, plasma leakage, and thrombosis. Angiopoeitin-1 (Ang1) is a vasculogenic factor that induces endothelial cell sprouting, migration, and network formation,12–15 coordinated processes that are crucial in the development of new blood vessels. Angiopoietins signal via the Tie (tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin and epidermal growth factor homology domains) family of receptor tyrosine kinases, of which Tie2 is endothelial-cell specific. In addition to its important role in vasculogenesis, Ang1, through Tie2, suppresses activation of endothelial cells as evidenced by its inhibition of vascular cell adhesion molecules and procoagulant tissue factor expression.16,17 These effects confer on Ang1 potent antiinflammatory properties.18–20 Although Ang1 affects the expression of many NF-κB–responsive genes, a functional and mechanistic link between Ang1 and NF-κB signaling has not been previously shown. The report by Hughes et al21 in this issue of …
Gap junction heterogeneity as mechanism for electrophysiologically distinct properties across the ventricular wall.

Gap junctions are critical to maintaining synchronized impulse propagation and repolarization. Heterogeneous expression of the principal ventricular gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) is associated with action potential duration (APD) dispersion across the anterior ventricular wall. Little is known about Cx43 expression patterns and their disparate impact on regional electrophysiology throughout the heart. We aimed to determine whether the anterior and posterior regions of the heart are electrophysiologically distinct. Multisegment, high-resolution optical mapping was performed in canine wedge preparations harvested separately from the anterior left ventricle (aLV; n = 8) and posterior left ventricle (pLV; n = 8). Transmural APD dispersion was significantly greater on the aLV than the pLV (45 ± 13 vs. 26 ± 8.0 ms; P < 0.05). Conduction velocity dispersion was also significantly higher (P < 0.05) across the aLV (39 ± 7%) than the pLV (16 ± 3%). Carbenoxolone perfusion significantly enhanced APD and conduction velocity dispersion on the aLV (by 1.53-fold and 1.36-fold, respectively), but not the pLV (by 1.27-fold and 1.2-fold, respectively), and produced a 4.2-fold increase in susceptibility to inducible arrhythmias in the aLV. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy revealed significantly (P < 0.05) greater transmural dispersion of Cx43 expression on the aLV (44 ± 10%) compared with the pLV wall (8.3 ± 0.7%), suggesting that regional expression of Cx43 expression patterns may account for regional electrophysiological differences. Computer simulations affirmed that localized uncoupling at the epicardial-midmyocardial interface is sufficient to produce APD gradients observed on the aLV. These data demonstrate that the aLV and pLV differ importantly with respect to their electrophysiological properties and Cx43 expression patterns. Furthermore, local underexpression of Cx43 is closely associated with transmural electrophysiological heterogeneity on the aLV. Therefore, regional and transmural heterogeneous Cx43 expression patterns may be an important mechanism underlying arrhythmia susceptibility, particularly in disease states where gap junction expression is altered.
Organelle division: Self-assembling GTPases caught in the middle

Recent findings indicate that the dynamin GTPase helps to divide animal and fungal mitochondria, and that the tubulin-like FtsZ GTPase is involved in division of, not only most bacteria, but also chloroplasts and probably mitochondria of unicellular eukaryotes.
Effects of focal plane array offset and beam steering on sensitivity

Focal plane antenna array (FPA) feeds for large reflector antennas can provide radio astronomers with the ability to electronically scan the sky without physically moving the position of the antennas. FPAs may also enable radio frequency interference mitigation using spatial filtering algorithms.
Studies in cyclocopolymerization. V. Further evidence for charge-transfer complexes in cyclocopolymerization

Previous work from this laboratory has shown that certain 1,4-dienes which readily undergo cyclocopolymerization with certain alkenes also form charge-transfer complexes with the same alkenes. The results observed and the proposed cyclocopolymerization mechanism are consistent with participation of the charge-transfer complex as a distinct species in the copolymerization. It was the purpose of this investigation to determine whether there was a dilution effect on the relative reactivities of the monomers in support of the charge-transfer participation concept, and whether the results of a suitable terpolymerization study would also support this postulate. In the divinyl ether–fumaronitrile system, the maximum rate of copolymerization occurred at a monomer feed ratio of 1:2 and the composition of the copolymer was also 1:2 at a total monomer concentration of 3 mole/l. However, when the concentration was progressively lowered to 0.5 mole/l. at the same monomer feed ratio, the fumaronitrile content of the copolymer decreased in a linear manner. In a series of terpolymerization experiments with the divinyl ether–maleic anhydride–acrylonitrile system, it was shown that the divinyl ether–maleic anhydride ratio in the terpolymer was always less than 1:1 and had an upper limit of 1:2, regardless of the feed ratio of the termonomers. These results are consistent with the participation of the charge-transfer complex of divinyl ether and maleic anhydride in a copolymerization process with either maleic anhydride or acrylonitrile as the comonomer.
COMSED 1 — A compact, gigawatt class microwave source utilizing helical flux compression generator based pulsed power

Recent progress in the development of a compact, portable, explosively-driven high power microwave source is presented. The envelope to which the system must fit has a 15 cm diameter, which means each sub-system fits within this dimension, with an optimized overall length. The system includes an autonomous prime energy source, which provides the initial energy for a two-stage, flux-trapping helical flux compression generator (FCG). Typical output from the FCG is several kilojoules into a 3 μH inductor. The amplified energy from the generator, after pulse conditioning, is used to drive a virtual cathode oscillator (vircator). Recorded voltages at the vircator with this arrangement were greater than 200 kV in experiments, where radiated output powers of greater than 100 MW have been measured. Voltages of at least 300 kV, with an electrical output power of 4 GW or greater, were generated by the FCG driven pulsed power source into a water resistor load with an impedance similar to the operating impedance of the vircator. A description of each component of the compact microwave source will be given, along with waveforms from tests performed with the components independent of the rest of the system. Data from experiments with the fully integrated microwave system will be shown, and analysis will be offered to detail the performance of the system in its present state.
Performance Analysis of Adaptive Processors via Diffusion Model Approximations and the Fokker-Planck Equation

Some results on adaptive array processors and adaptive filters that have been obtainsd by the use of diffusion model approximations and the Fokker-Planck equation are described.
The moral economy of violence in the US inner city

In an 8-week period, there were 16 shootings with three fatalities, three stabbings, and 14 additional “aggravated assaults” in the four square blocks surrounding our field site in the Puerto Rican corner of North Philadelphia. In the aftermath of the shoot-outs, the drug sellers operating on our block were forced to close down their operations by several mothers who repeatedly called the police. Drawing on the concept of moral economy (Thompson, Scott, Taussig), Mauss’s interpretation of gift exchange, and a political economy critique of hyper-carceralization in the United States, we understand the high levels of US inner-city violence as operating within a moral logic framed by economic scarcity and hostile state relations. Residents seek security, self-respect, and profit in social networks that compel them to participate in solidary exchanges of assistive violence dynamized by kinship and gender obligations. A hierarchical, extractive drug economy fills the void left by deindustrialization, resulting ...
Influence of parent material and grain size on carbonate coatings in gravelly soils, Palo Duro Wash, New Mexico

Abstract Close examination of carbonate coatings found on the bottoms of pebbles from gravelly soils indicates that soil hydraulic conductivity and respiration rate have a strong influence on the carbonate morphology of aridic soils. Clast size and lithology strongly correlate with coating thickness. Because of the nature of unsaturated flow within macropores of gravelly soils, thicker coatings are found at the bottom of larger clasts. Coatings are thickest on limestone pebbles that commonly display dissolution features at their tops. Model values for soil CO 2 based on gas diffusion predict soil atmospheric condition where soil water can remain undersaturated with respect to calcite and dissolve calcareous pebbles throughout the depth of the soil profile. This, coupled with soil hydrology creates a microenvironmental condition where the largest limestone clasts have the thickest coating. A second phenomenon that is apparent from close observation of coatings is that soils containing abundant fines and translocated dust in the matrix have continuous coatings. Continuous coatings are absent, however, in soils that do not neighbor a dust source or do not have sufficient fines in the matrix. In these soils, coatings are almost completely absent from sand and granule size particles suggesting that zones of preferential flow in the soil inhibit carbonate precipitation in parts of the soil profile. These inconstancies in the continuity and thickness of coatings suggest that stage III morphology may not develop at the same rate even locally.
Using Genealogical Mapping and Genetic Neighborhood Sizes to Quantify Dispersal Distances in the Neotropical Passerine, the Black-Capped Vireo

Dispersal is a key demographic process, ultimately responsible for genetic connectivity among populations. Despite its importance, quantifying dispersal within and between populations has proven difficult for many taxa. Even in passerines, which are among the most intensely studied, individual movement and its relation to gene flow remains poorly understood. In this study we used two parallel genetic approaches to quantify natal dispersal distances in a Neotropical migratory passerine, the black-capped vireo. First, we employed a strategy of sampling evenly across the landscape coupled with parentage assignment to map the genealogical relationships of individuals across the landscape, and estimate dispersal distances; next, we calculated Wright’s neighborhood size to estimate gene dispersal distances. We found that a high percentage of captured individuals were assigned at short distances within the natal population, and males were assigned to the natal population more often than females, confirming sex-biased dispersal. Parentage-based dispersal estimates averaged 2400m, whereas gene dispersal estimates indicated dispersal distances ranging from 1600–4200 m. Our study was successful in quantifying natal dispersal distances, linking individual movement to gene dispersal distances, while also providing a detailed look into the dispersal biology of Neotropical passerines. The high-resolution information was obtained with much reduced effort (sampling only 20% of breeding population) compared to mark-resight approaches, demonstrating the potential applicability of parentage-based approaches for quantifying dispersal in other vagile passerine species.
IGF-I increases forearm blood flow without increasing forearm glucose uptake

Decreased insulin-mediated muscle glucose uptake is a characteristic feature of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and other insulin-resistant states. It has been suggested that an impairment ...
Ni[TCNE]2 · zCH2Cl2 (Tc = 13 K) and VxNi1 − x[TCNE]y · zCH2Cl2 solid solution room temperature magnets

Abstract Magnetically ordered Ni[TCNE]2 · zCH2Cl2 (Tc = 13 K) is reported for the first time from the reaction of Ni(CO)4 with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). A family of new solid solution room temperature magnets of VxNi1 − x[TCNE]y · zCH2Cl2 (0 ≤ x 0; however, the magnitude of M increases with x, as does the broadness of the peaks in the χ′(T) and χ″(T) ac susceptibilities. Hence, the magnetic properties of the room temperature V[TCNE]y · zCH2Cl2 magnet can be finely tuned via synthetic chemistry methodology, making this material more amenable in future technologies.
Guns, butter, and debt: Sovereign creditworthiness and military expenditure

I argue that favorable access to sovereign credit provides governments with greater autonomy to invest in security by allowing political incumbents to relax fixed-budget constraints. Borrowing permits leaders to delay and minimize the macroeconomic and redistributive costs associated with domestic sources of finance. Consequently, leaders of creditworthy states face fewer political costs when increasing military expenditure in response to growing demand or maintaining military expenditure when government revenues fall. A cross-sectional time-series analysis supports two observable implications of the argument. First, creditworthiness is positively associated with military spending with an effect on par with regime type. Second, creditworthiness conditions the effect of external threats on military expenditure, suggesting that poor credit terms constrain the provision of security.
Metropolis and the Hinterland: Community as the Blind Spot of James Carey’s Theory of Communication

Cultural studies scholar James Carey is known for an approach to communication that drew on Harold Innis for understanding relations between the metropolis and the hinterland and John Dewey for understanding community and culture. Despite the value of his approach, Carey’s theory has a blind spot at the intersection of community and politics. He collapsed notions of community and the public and bracketed the politics of meaning-making at the local level. Consequently, his theory takes the politics out of local community, where identities are formed and political issues identified. Dewey’s explanation of democracy as both associated life in the local community and a form of government that grows from it offers a better political vision for a theory of communication.
The Bluegrass of Kentucky: An Engineered Image of a Gracious Life

Places, whether ordinary or memorable, natural or human influenced, are evocative of images that capture the imagination. Such is the case for the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. As an internationally renowned amenity landscape, anchored by the thoroughbred industry, its evolution over time, like many signature landscapes, has been largely engineered. The historic beginnings, extolled by Filson through the tales of Daniel Boone, are meant to bring to mind the log cabin in the forest clearing that evolved into the tobacco and cattle farm that was, in turn, engineered into the thoroughbred horse farm of today. To maintain and/or strengthen this modern day image, advertising, that encourages tourism, shopping and the like, attempts to counteract the impact of the “other” images such as suburban sprawl, office parks, industry and the infamous mall, by giving them “horsey” type names – Thoroughbred Park, Man O’ War Boulevard, Gainesway subdivision. This essay explores the engineering of the Bluegrass Region as it responds to the social and economic forces that are attempting to replace the rural amenity landscape with urban land uses clad in symbols of what once was.
Fibronectin and glycosaminoglycans in human preovulatory follicular fluid and their correlation to follicular maturation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of two extracellular matrix constituents--fibronectin (FN) and glycosaminoglycans (GAG)--in the development of human ovarian follicles. One-hundred-and-one samples of human follicular fluid (HFF) aspirated from patients participating in an IVF-ET programme were assayed for FN, GAG, protein, progesterone (P) and oestradiol (E2). FN/protein and FN/GAG ratios increased significantly with volume of HFF and with follicular P levels. In contrast, GAG/protein ratios decreased significantly with HFF volume, follicular P and E2. Ratios of FN/protein correlated positively with maturity of oocytes; 3.1 +/- 0.5 with dysmature, 4.2 +/- 0.5 with immature, 8.5 +/- 1.0 with intermediate and 7.8 +/- 0.5 with mature oocytes. Ratios of GAG/protein were inversely correlated with maturity of oocytes; 11.0 +/- 1.0 with dysmature, 12.5 +/- 1.4 with immature, 8.9 +/- 0.9 with intermediate and 9.2 +/- 0.5 with mature oocytes. Ratios of FN/GAG correlated with maturity of oocytes; 0.3 +/- 0.02 with dysmature, 0.4 +/- 0.1 with immature, 1.2 +/- 0.2 with intermediate and 1.1 +/- 0.1 with mature oocytes. Furthermore, follicles leading to oocytes which fertilized showed significantly higher FN/protein and FN/GAG ratios than those yielding oocytes which remained unfertilized. In contrast, GAG/protein ratios were significantly lower in follicles with which oocytes fertilized than in those with oocytes which did not fertilize. These results suggest that FN and GAG can be useful markers for follicular development and the potential of the oocyte to be fertilized.
Lipopolysaccharide-induced gastroprotection is independent of the vagus nerve

This study was done to examine the role of the vagus nerve in a model of gastric injury during endotoxemia. In conscious rats, lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 20 mg/kg ip) treatment for 5 hr prevented macroscopic gastric injury caused by acidified ethanol (150 mM HCl/50% ethanol). In addition, LPS enhanced gastric luminal fluid accumulation, decreased gastric mucosal blood flow (laser Doppler), and increased plasma gastrin levels (radioimmunoassay). Subdiaphragmatic truncal vagotomy, performed 7 days prior to LPS inhibited LPS-induced fluid accumulation, further reduced gastric mucosal blood flow following LPS, and augmented LPS-induced gastrin release compared to those in pyloroplasty controls. Atropine (1 mg/kg ip) prevented LPS-induced fluid accumulation but did not influence the effects of LPS on blood flow or gastrin release. Neither vagotomy nor atropine negated LPS-induced gastroprotection. This is the first report to examine the role of cholinergic nerves in the stomach during endotoxemia. The data indicate that LPS causes accumulation of gastric luminal fluid in part through its effects on cholinergic nerves. In contrast, the effects of vagotomy on blood flow and gastrin release following LPS involve a noncholinergic pathway. However, LPS-induced gastroprotection is independent of the vagus nerve.
A 66-year-old woman with a rapidly progressing dementia and basal ganglia involvement

A 66-year-old woman presented with a rapidly progressive dementia initially characterized by an auditory agnosia. She experienced a rapid progression of her aphasia and developed ataxia and myoclonus. An initial neurological evaluation suggested a left parieto-temporal lesion, however, neuroimaging did not reveal any. An MRI of her brain demonstrated highly focal T2 hyperintensities in her basal ganglia. The patient was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD) on the basis of the presence of two proteins in the CSF that are highly sensitive and specific for CJD. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis. The differential diagnosis and utility of MRI in patients with CJD is discussed.
Health Care Economics and Biomedical Ethics

This is the final event of the Infectious Diseases Society program this year, and I am especially grateful to all of you who have stayed in Minneapolis this long. I trust that your stay in Minnesota, thus far at least, has been rewarding and pleasant. Our native son Garrison Keillor, with his tales of Lake Wobegon and Norwegian farmers, has given most of you a pretty good knowledge and an accurate image of Minnesota. I thought some of you might also be interested in the impression of a visitor to this state many years ago, and I give credit to Mike Osterholm, Director of the Minnesota Department of Health, for this quote, which was recorded in 1852.
Frenkel Biexcitons: States and Transition Spectra

A biexciton model is developed, valid for cases in which the excitation-transfer matrix elements are small compared with the binding energy between the two excitations. Eigenstates are found and spectroscopic transitions between biexcitons and single excitons are discussed. Observation of these transitions can be used to find values of the binding energy and of the excitation-transfer energies.