cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mammalian body size is determined by interactions between climate, urbanization, and ecological traits.

Anthropogenically-driven climate warming is a hypothesized driver of animal body size reductions. Less understood are effects of other human-caused disturbances on body size, such as urbanization. We compiled 140,499 body size records of over 100 North American mammals to test how climate and human population density, a proxy for urbanization, and their interactions with species traits, impact body size. We tested three hypotheses of body size variation across urbanization gradients: urban heat island effects, habitat fragmentation, and resource availability. Our results demonstrate that both urbanization and temperature influence mammalian body size variation, most often leading to larger individuals, thus supporting the resource availability hypothesis. In addition, life history and other ecological factors play a critical role in mediating the effects of climate and urbanization on body size. Larger mammals and species that utilize thermal buffering are more sensitive to warmer temperatures, while flexibility in activity time appears to be advantageous in urbanized areas. This work highlights the value of using digitized, natural history data to track how human disturbance drives morphological variation. Anthropogenically-driven climate change is responsible for body size decreases in mammals. Using an important dataset of historically-collected data and data from continental-scale survey efforts from the National Ecological Observatory Network, Hantak et al. show that urbanization plays an important role in mediating this dynamic.
Urologic morbidity associated with placenta accreta spectrum surgeries: single-center experience with a multidisciplinary team

Background Hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum may be associated with urologic morbidity, including intentional or unintentional cystostomy, ureteral injury, and bladder fistula. Although previous retrospective studies have shown an association between placenta accreta spectrum and urologic morbidities, there is still a paucity of literature addressing these urologic complications. Objective We sought to report a systematic description of such morbidity and associated factors. Study Design This was a retrospective study of all histology-proven placenta accreta spectrum deliveries in an academic center between 2011 and 2020. Urologic morbidity was defined as the presence of at least one of the following: cystotomy, ureteral injury, or bladder fistula. Variables were reported as median (interquartile range) or number (percentage). Analyses were made using appropriate parametric and nonparametric tests. Multinomial regression analysis was performed to assess the association of adverse urologic events with the depth of placental invasion. Results In this study, 58 of 292 patients (19.9%) experienced urologic morbidity. Patients with urologic morbidity had a higher rate of placenta percreta (compared with placenta accreta and placenta increta) than those without such injuries. Preoperative ureteral stents were placed in 54 patients (93.1%) with and 146 patients (62.4%) without urologic injury (P=.003). After adjusting for confounding variables, multinomial regression analysis revealed that the odds of having adverse urologic events was 6.5 times higher in patients with placenta percreta than in patients with placenta accreta. Conclusion Greater depth of invasion in placenta accreta spectrum was associated with more frequent and severe adverse urologic events. Whether stent placement confers any protective benefit requires further investigation.
Trans-diaphragmatic left ventricular venting during peripheral venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has proven to be an invaluable method of cardiopulmonary support in cases of severe cardiogenic shock. In an emergency, femoral artery and vein cannulation is the easiest and quickest access to initiate support. Often, with peripheral venous-arterial ECMO (VA ECMO), an inadequate reduction in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) is present secondary to increased afterload from retrograde flow, inadequate RV drainage or persistent bronchial circulation. Elevated LVEDP has been known to be associated with poor myocardial recovery, LV thrombus formation and significant pulmonary edema. A cannulation strategy to achieve partial ventricular unloading is of paramount importance when considering ECMO support following cardiogenic shock to increase the potential for myocardial recovery. We present a novel case of emergent peripheral VA ECMO cannulation with a trans-diaphragmatic left ventricular (LV) vent in a 61-year-old, 79kg male with end-stage liver diseas...
Developing a Sustainable Hardrock Mining and Mineral Processing Industry: Environmental and Natural Resource Law for 21st Century People, Prosperity and the Planet

The US government can readily create a sustainable development paradigm for the hardrock mining and mineral processing industry. The EPA could promulgate new environmental regulations: (1) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to control hardrock mining and mineral processing waste management, and (2) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to mitigate the discharge of mining waste into the waters of the US. Congress could reinstate the Superfund tax and expand it to include the hardrock mining industry, which would provide funds to cleanup abandoned mine sites. Reforming these environmental laws is an integral approach where the EPA establishes the compliance standards (i.e., the federal minimum technical requirements) while state and tribal governments implement the rules under cooperative federalism principles. Concurrently, Congress could reform the General Mining Law of 1872 (GML) and the Federal Land Planning and Management Act (FLPMA) to regulate hardrock mining and mineral processing development activities to reclaim, restore and conserve natural capital, to preserve special places and protect against mineral exploitation. Finally, Congress could enact trade measures to maintain free and fair trade in domestic and foreign mineral commodity markets, which would encourage global sustainable development.
Prokaryotic DNA‐binding Proteins

DNA-binding proteins are found in all organisms and play critical roles in DNA metabolism. Structure–function studies can be carried out on single-strand specific binding proteins (SSBs), which function in DNA replication, recombination and repair. Keywords: DNA-binding protein; single-strand specific binding protein; protein domains; protein–protein interaction; cooperativity
Amidohydrolase activity, soil N status, and the invasive crucifer Lepidium latifolium

Wetlands and riparian habitats in the western United States are being invaded by the exotic crucifer Lepidium latifolium (perennial pepperweed, tall whitetop). It was hypothesized that L. latifolium was an effective competitor due to its ability to make available and take up more nitrogen than vegetation it is replacing. The hypothesis was tested by comparing amidohydrolase activities, available soil N, 30 day aerobic N-mineralization rates, and plant uptake of N in paired L. latifolium invaded and non-invaded plots occupied by Elytrigia elongata (tall wheatgrass). Attributes were measured by date (June 1998, September 1998, April 1999, and May 2000) and by soil depth (0–15, 15–30, 30–50, and 50–86 cm). Lepidium latifolium invaded sites had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater urease, amidase, glutaminase, and asparaginase activities than sites occupied by E. elongata for most dates and soil depths. In addition, despite far greater uptake of N per unit area, L. latifolium sites still had significantly greater available N and N-mineralization potentials than E. elongata for most dates and depths. In general, enzyme activities significantly correlated with available soil N, with a stronger relationship for sites invaded by L. latifolium. There were few significant linear correlations of enzyme activities with net N mineralization potentials for L. latifolium sites, but many for sites occupied by E. elongata. These data support the working hypothesis.
Orthogonal group matrices of hyperoctahedral groups

The hyperoctahedral group G n of order 2 n n! is generated by permutations and sign changes applied to n digits, d = 1, 2,…, n . The 2 n sign changes generate a normal subgroup ∑ n whose factor group G n /∑ n is isomorphic with the symmetric group S n of order n! . To each irreducible orthogonal representation ‹X ; μ › of G n corresponds an ordered pair of partitions [ λ ] of l and [μ] of m , where l+m = n .
Electron microscopic studies of the binding of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase to DNA. I. Characterization of the non-specific interactions of holoenzyme with a restriction fragment of bacteriophage T7 DNA.

Abstract Non-specific interactions between a 3800 base-pair restriction fragment of bacteriophage T7 DNA ( Mbo I-C) and Escherichia coli RNA polymerase holoenzyme have been examined by electron microscopy. Holoenzyme displays a relatively weak and rapidly reversible binding to DNA that is only slightly reduced at elevated salt concentrations. As the concentration of NaCl is increased from 50 m m to 200 m m , the binding constant decreases from 2 × 10 4 m −1 to 4 × 10 3 m −1 . It is concluded that only 1 to 2 sodium ions are released from the DNA when holoenzyme binds non-specifically. The validity of the electron microscopic technique for determining binding constants has been investigated by varying aspects of the grid surface and by examining the non-specific interactions of lac repressor with DNA.
Elementary Analysis in ℚ p

In the field of p-adic numbers we have an object that in many ways is analogous to the field of real numbers: it is a field with an absolute value, and it is complete with respect to the metric given by that absolute value. In fact, the similarities go deeper: ℝ and the various ℚ p , are completions of ℚ, hence contain ℚ as a dense subset; they are all locally compact; none of them are algebraically closed.
Depletion of a discrete nuclear glutathione pool by oxidative stress, but not by buthionine sulfoximine: Correlation with enhanced alkylating agent cytotoxicity to human melanoma cells in vitro

Abstract The existence of a distinct pool of glutathione in the nucleus of cultured human melanoma cells was demonstrated. Melanoma cell nuclei contained 13–35 pmol of glutathione/10 6 nuclei, or approximately 0.4–1.3% of the total cellular glutathione. This nuclear glutathione pool resisted depletion by buthionine sulfoximine, an agent that inhibits glutathione synthesis, but was rapidly and reversibly depleted by subtoxic concentrations of Adriamycin® plus carmustine, two agents that promote oxidation of glutathione without permitting its regeneration through enzymatic reduction of glutathione disulfide. The ability of Adriamycin plus carmustine to deplete this small but significant pool of glutathione in the cell nucleus may explain why these agents potentiate the cytotoxic effects of the DNA-alkylating agent melphalan to a much higher degree than does buthionine sulfoximine at concentrations that are equipotent in depleting cytosolic glutathione.
Utilizing node's selfishness for providing complete anonymity in peer-to-peer based grids

In this paper, a novel protocol for providing both client and server anonymity in peer-to-peer (P2P) based grids is presented. The protocol assumes individual nodes or users to be utility maximizing agents, and relies on an auction mechanism for trading of resources among them. The resources here can refer to data files, storage capacity, or computation power (i.e., CPU cycles) etc. The protocol is inherently anonymous, light-weight, and incentive-compatible. Incentive compatibility implies that the protocol takes into account the selfishness of users; as would be seen the utilities of users are maximized by truthfully following the protocol steps. Moreover, if the protocol is truthfully followed by the users, anonymity to both the clients and servers of all the transactions are guaranteed. Furthermore, unlike other schemes, the proposed protocol does not rely on any trusted centralized entity or require specialized encryptions to be performed by the users. Thus, the protocol incurs very low overhead on the system and is light-weight. In brief, the proposed protocol provides efficient and natural means to provide anonymity in P2P based grids, and is easily deployable in a large un-trusted Internet-scale setting.
IN THE CONTEXTS OF THE POSSIBLE: LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS AS INCENDIARY CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS

Great cultural institutions—incendiary cultural institutions—feed flames that illuminate the human capacity to imagine the possible. When we consider our institutions as dramatic stages or provocative forums—places where human beings present themselves to each other, act to change their cognitive lives, perform the passions of their searches, frame their hopeful inquiries, tentatively assert their aspirations—we begin to understand that we preside over a place where something essential and revolutionary goes on. But what situations for learning could live up to the metaphor of flame and fire? What would such an institution be? How might an incendiary cultural . . .
Orphan Works: Causes of the Problem

The orphan works problem can be traced in part to several recent changes in the way copyright law grants rights to owners and in the way that users consume copyrighted works. Broadly defined as the situation where the owner of a copyrighted work cannot be located by someone who wishes to make use of the work in a manner that requires authorization, the problem of orphan works may have existed in theory since the first copyright laws came into effect. But in recent years, at least four developments have exacerbated the problem: (1) the elimination of copyright formalities, (2) the progressive extension of copyright terms, (3) technological advances that allow authors to create and preserve more copyrightable works, and (4) technological changes in the way users access and consume copyrighted works, especially in the shift from print to digital. This paper seeks to familiarize the reader with these developments and the ways that they have brought the orphan works issue to the forefront.
Drosophila as a Model for Context‐Dependent Tumorigenesis

Drosophila can exhibit classic hallmarks of cancer, such as evasion of apoptosis, sustained proliferation, metastasis, prolonged survival, genome instability, and metabolic reprogramming, when cancer-related genes are perturbed. In the last two decades, studies in flies have identified several tumor suppressor and oncogenes. However, the greatest strength of the fly lies in its ability to model cancer hallmarks in a variety of tissue types, which enables the study of context-dependent tumorigenesis. We review the organs and tissues that have been used to model tumor formation, and propose new strategies to maximize the potential of Drosophila in cancer research.
Groundwater flow and phosphate dynamics surrounding a high discharge wastewater disposal well in the Florida Keys

Abstract Two artificial tracer experiments (June 1998 and September 1999) were conducted in a groundwater system surrounding a high-volume (500–1200 m 3 /d) wastewater disposal well in the Florida Keys to determine the fate of wastewater borne phosphate in the subsurface. SF 6 served as the conservative groundwater tracer in both experiments. Groundwater transport rates are bimodal in nature, both horizontally and vertically. Diffusive/dispersive-type flow attributed to the limestone's primary porosity was estimated to have rates below 0.3 m/d. The most rapid conduit flow due to the limestone's secondary porosity was as high as 20 m/d in the well field and even higher, up to 123.3 m/d, immediately adjacent to the point of injection. Typical transport rates were approximately five times higher in the 1999 experiment than those observed in 1998 commensurate with a wastewater discharge increase from 0.63×10 6 to 2.32×10 6 l/d. The second experiment used radiolabelled phosphate as the reactive tracer and showed that 32 PO 4 was rapidly adsorbed onto Key Largo limestone. Recirculation experiments using core material from the site and phosphate-rich water showed a rapid initial uptake of phosphate followed by a slower adsorption until an equilibrium concentration of approximately 26 μM was reached. Addition of phosphate-free water to the same core material showed a release of PO 4 into solution until the same equilibrium concentration was reached. The limestone matrix underlying the study site appears to act as a phosphate buffer once exposed to phosphate-rich water. The mechanisms controlling this buffering capacity are poorly understood at this time.
Estimation of Source-Receptor Matrices for Deposition of NOx-N

The contributions of the anthropogenic sources of NOx from various combinations of contiguous U.S. states or Canadian provinces to integrated deposition across selected states or provinces are estimated with the Advanced Statistical Trajectory Regional Air Pollution (ASTRAP) model. The model assumes linearity between emissions and deposition, and uses the same parameterization methods, although with different rates, as in simulations of transport and deposition of SOx. Vertical distributions of emissions for the two classes of pollutants are substantially different in the gridded inventories used in simulations, with a weighted mean effective emission height of 160 m for NOx and 310 m for SOx. This might be expected to lead to an effective transport distance before deposition shorter for NOx than for SOx. However, the calculated fraction of NOx emissions deposited within the contiguous United States and Canada south of 60 deg N (57%) is not greatly different from the fraction calculated for SOx emissions (54%). This suggests that there may be compensating factors in the horizontal distribution of NOx emissions, and in the lower dry deposition velocities for NO/NO2 than for SO2 in ASTRAP.
The ecological paradigm in public relations theory and practice

Abstract This article argues that two basic propositions and their imperatives constitute an “ecological paradigm” within the terms of Kuhn's (1970, 1977) concept of the paradigm. The ecological paradigm is seen as constituted of two competing models of organizational change: the adaptation and selection models. It is argued that this conceptual competition operates as a Kuhnian anomaly within the ecological paradigm.
Quotations in scholarly text: Converting existing documents to hypertext

A crucial issue in hypertext design is how to give the reader new capabilities without taking any existing ones away. This paper discusses the conversion of traditional, printed scholarly text to hypertext, focusing on the presentation of the explicit links between texts that are represented by direct quotations. It first examines how quotations are used by the author and the reader in traditional text. It then considers the conversion of scholarly text to hypertext, concentrating on how direct quotations should be handled. Three specific areas are examined: (i) what kinds of links are necessary, and what they should link together, (ii) how the linked texts should be divided into sections or nodes, and (iii) how the links and nodes should be displayed to the reader. The paper concludes by listing some recommendations for the conversion of scholarly text to hypertext.
Frequency domain phase-resolved optical Doppler and Doppler variance tomography

Frequency domain phase-resolved optical Doppler tomography (ODT) was developed with Doppler variance imaging capability. It is shown that utilizing the frequency domain method, phase-resolved ODT can achieve much higher imaging speed and velocity dynamic range than the time domain method. Structural, Doppler and Doppler variance images of fluid flow through glass channels were quantified and blood flow through vessels were demonstrated in vivo.
Plasma Diagnostics with Short Electromagnetic Pulses

The propagation of short electromagnetic pulses in an ionized medium and the reflection of transient pulses from bounded ionized regions is discussed. Analytical expressions for transient oscillations in reflected and propagated electromagnetic fields excited by a unidirectional pulse are derived for certain simple cases. The transient oscillations show a periodicity which is directly related to the plasma frequency and are useful for nearly instantaneous plasma diagnostics. An experiment is described in which the reflection and transmission of unidirectional pulses of approximately 1 nanosecond duration is observed in the afterglow of a coaxial discharge tube. In addition to the dispersion of the quasi TEM mode in the coaxial test tube a transient oscillation with much lower periodicity is also observed and interpreted as arising from a surface-wave propagating near the interface between glass walls and the annular ionized region. This surface-wave propagates only at frequencies below the plasma frequency of the ionized region and its application for diagnostics of dense plasma is indicated.
Long duration blade loss simulations including thermal growths for dual-rotor gas turbine engine

This paper presents an approach for blade loss simulation including thermal growth effects for a dual-rotor gas turbine engine supported on bearing and squeeze film damper. A nonlinear ball bearing model using the Hertzian formula predicts ball contact load and stress, while a simple thermal model estimates the thermal growths of bearing components during the blade loss event. The modal truncation augmentation method combined with a proposed staggered integration scheme is verified through simulation results as an efficient tool for analyzing a flexible dual-rotor gas turbine engine dynamics with the localized nonlinearities of the bearing and damper, with the thermal growths and with a flexible casing model. The new integration scheme with enhanced modeling capability reduces the computation time by a factor of 12, while providing a variety of solutions with acceptable accuracy for durations extending over several thermal time constants.
Characteristics of a pulsed, liquid-metal field emission source for use in fast high-current switches

Liquid metal ion sources (LMIS) of the type used for ion beam lithography can also be used to produce large pulses of electrons via field emission. These sources typically consist of a small capillary through which a liquid metal is forced. The application of a voltage between this capillary and an extraction anode causes the liquid metal to form a sharp cone. When the intense field at the tip exceeds the threshold for field emission, a large electron current flows from the tip to the anode. The production of this electron pulse results in the rapid heating of the liquid-metal tip, leading to an explosive pressure increase, and a collapse of the tip. As the field is restored, the tip reforms, with a resultant self-pulsing mode of operation. The pulse repetition rate, the average current, and the current per pulse are all functions of the metal composition, emitter geometry, and applied diode voltage. These characteristics are reported for a variety of conditions, and show that a single emitter tip can produce current pulses in excess of 50 amperes, with a rise time of a few nsec, and a width of 5-50 nsec. Repetition rates vary between 10 Hz and 20 kHz. In addition to the observed electron emission, optical radiation is also produced. The dispersed visible spectrum shows predominantly emission from neutral, atomic species presumably excited by electron impact in the gas phase.
Is Sauce for the Goose Sauce for the Gander? Some Comparative Reflections on Minority Language Planning in North and South.

Drawing on the examples of two very different countries— Canada and Cameroon—this paper compares efforts to support minority languages in the North (the developed, industrialised countries) and the South (the developing world). Both parts of the world manifest a large number of minorities, some of which are indigenous, others of which have migrated, and so governments face the question of planning in a multilingual environment in relation to such goals as education. Policies in the two countries are examined to discover the factors which make for similarities and differences. The paper asks whether comparable principles are being applied to minority language planning, and if not, what the underlying reasons for the differences are.
Reason and Commitment

Don Garrett's strategy, in Cognition and Commitment in Hume's Philosophy, is to reconcile apparent contradictions in Hume's theory. Two examples occur early in Part I of Book I of the Treatise. Hume argues that all ideas are derivable from impressions (what Garrett calls "the Copy Principle"). Garrett defends Hume's rigorous attempt to found this principle empirically, taking Hume at his word when he describes it as "the first principle I establish in the science of human nature." (T 7)1 Notoriously, Hume almost immediately provides a counter-example: suppose a person had experienced all shades of blue except one, and further suppose they were presented with a table of all these shades, with a blank where the missing shade ought to be. Clearly, Hume says, such a person could supply "from his own imagination" the relevant idea, without having first experienced the corresponding impression. This presents an apparent counter-example to the Copy Principle. Another example occurs a little later. Hume claims that "Where-ever the imagination perceives a difference among ideas, it can easily produce a separation." (T 10) Distinct ideas are separable. Garrett calls this "the Separability Principle", and it is almost as important for Hume as the Copy Principle. For one thing, it shows that Hume's theory of ideas, though heavily influenced by Locke, is importantly different from the earlier theory: Locke thought there were some necessary connections between distinct ideas, connections that could not be reduced to identities or partial identities.2 More importantly, the separability of distinct ideas is the primary ground of Hume's conceivability criterion of demonstration, crucially employed in the arguments concerning the causation, necessary connection and induction. But Hume seems to present an apparent counter-example to the Separability Principle as well. When discussing distinctions of reason, Hume admits that we can distinguish between "the
Microwave and plasma sintering of ceramics

Abstract Both microwave and plasma sintering hold forth the promise of rapid processing as well as refinements in microstructure and enhanced properties. A new approach to sintering modeling provides a means of quantifying any athermal effects under nonisothermal as well as isothermal conditions. The well-understood benefits of fast heating are corroborated. Beyond that, evidence is mounting from a number of sources that sintering rates for both techniques are enhanced beyond those anticipated from rapid heating. Of course, the causes of enhancement in the two techniques are unrelated. Possible explanations are considered.
Back pain in primary care: predictors of high health-care costs

The objective of this study was to describe the health care utilization and prospective predictors of high-cost primary-care back pain patients. In the primary-care clinics of a large, staff model health maintenance organization in western Washington State, 1059 subjects were selected from consecutive patients presenting for back pain. The design was a 1-year prospective cohort study. Patients' were interviewed 1 month after an index primary-care back pain visit. Costs (back pain and total) and utilization (back pain primary-care follow-up visits, back pain specialty visits, back pain hospitalizations, back pain radiologic procedures, and pain medicine fills) were tracked over the next 11 months. Predictors assessed at 1 month were back pain diagnosis (disc disorder/sciatica, arthritis, vs. other), chronic pain grade (measure of pain intensity and related dysfunction), pain persistence (days with pain in prior 6 months), depressive symptomatology, and back pain-related disability compensation (ever/never). For the sample, 21% of patients with back pain costs > or = $600 (high back pain costs) accounted for 66% of back pain costs, 42% of total costs, 55% of primary-care follow-up visits for back pain, 91% of back pain specialty visits, 100% of back pain hospitalizations, 51% of back pain radiologic procedures, and 52% of pain medicine fills. The 21% with total costs > or = $2700 (high total costs) accounted for 67.7% of total costs, 52% of back pain costs, 29% of primary-care follow-up visits for back pain, 66% of back pain specialty visits, 100% of back pain hospitalizations, 39% of back pain radiologic procedures, and 42% of pain medicine fills. Multivariable logistic regression analyses indicated that increasing chronic pain grade, more persistent pain, and disc disorder/sciatica were strong independent predictors of high total and high back pain costs. Increasing depressive symptoms significantly predicted high total but not high back pain costs. Back pain disability compensation predicted high back pain but not high total costs. A minority of primary-care back pain patients accounted for a majority of health-care costs. Patients with high back pain costs accounted for more back pain-related health-care utilization than did patients with high total costs. Factors predicting subsequent high costs suggest behavioral interventions targeting dysfunction, pain persistence, and depression may reduce health-care utilization and prevent accumulation of high health-care costs among primary-care back pain patients.
Deagglomeration of Rice Starch‐Protein Aggregates by High‐Pressure Homogenization

Starch-protein agglomerates of rice are physically disrupted in presence of water by use of a high pressure homogenizer called microfluidizer® followed by density based separation. Rice flour slurry at concentrations of 22, 32 and 36 % was passed twice through the microfluidizer to determine optimum concentration and recycling conditions. It was determined that 32 % slurry and two passes were optimum but the optimum pressure was 10.0 x 10 4 kPa for non-waxy rice flour and 6.2 x 10 4 kPa for waxy flour. These conditions yielded low-protein starch with starch damage of 5.3%, 99.9% particles with size less than 10 μm, starch recovery of 72% and 2.7% protein in starch for non-waxy starch. The same parameters were 6.1%, 99.0%, 76% and 3.3% for waxy starch. The peak, minimum, breakdown, final and setback viscosity was 237.8, 115.2, 122.6, 145.1, 29.9 and 68.2 RVU for low-protein waxy rice starch and 223.4, 140.2, 83.2, 258.6 and 118.4 RVU for non-waxy low-protein rice starch, respectively. The pasting temperature was 68.7 °C for waxy and 81.33 °C for non-waxy low-protein rice starch. The solubility of protein increased with increasing concentration and number of passes, however, it decreased with increasing number of passes for waxy rice protein.
A complete distributed constraint optimization method for non-traditional pseudotree arrangements

Distributed Constraint Optimization (DCOP) is a general framework that can model complex problems in multiagent systems. Several current algorithms that solve general DCOP instances, including ADOPT and DPOP, arrange agents into a traditional pseudotree structure. We introduce an extension to the DPOP algorithm that handles an extended set of pseudotree arrangements. Our algorithm correctly solves DCOP instances for pseudotrees that include edges between nodes in separate branches. The algorithm also solves instances with traditional pseudotree arrangements using the same procedure as DPOP.We compare our algorithm with DPOP using several metrics including the induced width of the pseudotrees, the maximum dimensionality of messages and computation, and the maximum sequential path cost through the algorithm. We prove that for some problem instances it is not possible to generate a traditional pseudotree using edge-traversal heuristics that will outperform a cross-edged pseudotree. We use multiple heuristics to generate pseudotrees and choose the best pseudotree in linear space-time complexity. For some problem instances we observe significant improvements in message and computation sizes compared to DPOP.
Isotopic geochemistry of sulphur

Abstract The isotopic composition of sulphur has been determined for a large number of specimens representing the important geochemical phases in which sulphur is present. The most significant process that causes sulphur isotopic fractionation is the reduction of dissolved sulphate by bacteria, although other processes such as distillation of volcanic emanations, oxidation-reduction of H2S, SO2 and S during volcanism and sulphide-sulphate equilibrium under magmatie or hydrothermal conditions can be locally important. The new data are combined with earlier work in an attempt to define the range and average S 32 S 34 ratio of the various sulphur-bearing phases of the crust. The most important averages are meteorites 22.21, ocean sulphate 21.76, mafic rocks 22.16, plutonic silicic rocks 22.13, hydrothermal sulphides 22.13 and sedimentary sulphide 22.49 and post-Cambrian evaporite sulphate 21.80. A material balance calculation of the sulphur isotopes in the crust, although subject to considerable uncertainties, points to an average crustal composition of sulphur heavier than that for meteorites. No age effect is found for at least the last 2 × 109 years. Finally, a geochemical theory is described to account for the apparent distribution of sulphur isotopes in the lithosphere.
Panel 1: Can We Determine the Top Unresolved Problems of Visualization?

Many of us working in visualization have our own list of our top 5 or 10 unresolved problems in visualization. We have assembled a group of panelists to debate and perhaps reach concensus on the top problems in visualization that still need to be explored. We include panelists from both the information and scientific visualization domains. After our presentations, we encourage interaction with the audience to see if we can further formulate and perhaps finalize our list of top unresolved problems in visualization.
Capacity Building for Post-Disaster Mental Health Since Katrina: The Role of Community Health Workers

The floods and devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita contributed to socioeconomic instability and psychosocial trauma for the affected communities and populations, significantly for people of limited economic means and persons of color. Though more than 1/3 of the adult population from impacted areas experienced significant psychological distress, few people had access to or received appropriate health or mental health services in the months and years that followed. Community health workers (CHWs)—defined as lay community members whose backgrounds are similar to those for whom they provide such services as culturally relevant health education, individual- and community-level advocacy, and links to the health care system— may represent a particularly promising workforce strategy to increase access to quality mental health services and overcome racial and ethnic disparities in care. In this paper, we briefly review a post-disaster mental health training program for CHWs from the greater New Orleans area. We present preliminary evidence that CHWs remain engaged in addressing post-disaster concerns, and that there is community support for further CHW education. We discuss implications for CHW participation in recovery from future disasters and we highlight the work of Cynthia Carriere, a CHW from the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans.
Pb2M2O7−x (M = Ru, Ir, Re) — Preparation and properties of oxygen deficient pyrochlores

Abstract The preparation and some properties of three oxygen deficient pyrochlores are reported. All show Pauli paramagnetism and metallic conductivity. The dimensions of the face-centered cubic unit cells are: Pb 2 Ru 2 O 7−x , 10.253Ă; Pb 2 Ir 2 O 7−x , 10.271Ă; and Pb 2 Re 2 O 6 , 10.425Ă. The stability of this defect-pyrochlore structure relative to the perovskite structure is discussed.
Study of Demagnetizing Field Induced by a Sound Wave

The dynamic demagnetizing factor N d used to describe perturbation of magnetization of a magnetic fluid by a sound wave has been studied. Experimental N d values obtained according to the proposed methodology have been compared with the results of a model theory based on the approximating function for bodies of cylindrical shape and oblate ellipsoids of rotation.
Diffusion-weighted MRI as a biomarker for treatment response in glioma

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a powerful MRI method, which probes abnormalities of tissue structure by detecting microscopic changes in water mobility at a cellular level beyond what is available with other imaging techniques. Accordingly, DWI has the potential to identify pathology before gross anatomic changes are evident on standard anatomical brain images. These features of tissue characterization and earlier detection are what make DWI particularly appealing for the evaluation of gliomas and the newer therapies where standard anatomical imaging is proving insufficient. This article focuses on the basic principles and applications of DWI, and its derived parameter, the apparent diffusion coefficient, for the purposes of diagnosis and evaluation of glioma, especially in the context of monitoring response to therapy.
Three-dimensional solution structure of the cytoplasmic B domain of the mannitol transporter IImannitol of the Escherichia coli phosphotransferase system.

The solution structure of the cytoplasmic B domain of the mannitol (Mtl) transporter (IIMtl) from the mannitol branch of the Escherichia coli phosphotransferase system has been solved by multidimensional NMR spectroscopy with extensive use of residual dipolar couplings. The ordered IIBMtl domain (residues 375-471 of IIMtl) consists of a four-stranded parallel β-sheet flanked by two helices (α1 and α3) on one face and helix α2 on the opposite face with a characteristic Rossmann fold comprising two right-handed β1α1β2 and β3α2β4 motifs. The active site loop is structurally very similar to that of the eukaryotic protein tyrosine phosphatases, with the active site cysteine (Cys-384) primed in the thiolate state (pKa
Third‐Party Uses of Music and Musical Pragmatics

In the normal course of affairs, when confronted with an utterance, our standard cognitive goal is to figure out what the speaker intends to say. And, on one very plausible theory of language, the meaning of an utterance is explicated in terms of the speaker's intention to reveal to an auditor that the speaker intends the auditor to respond in a certain way. That is, the meaning of a particular language token is explained by means of certain of a speaker's intentions. Likewise, in interpreting or explaining nonverbal behavior, we typically advert to the agent's intentions.1
Acronyms Must always bE defiNed (AMEN).

To the Editor: In a recent article from a prominent cardiological journal, the authors compared major adverse cardiac event rates between primary coronary angioplasty and thrombolytic therapy. They reported their results …
Efficacy and Safety of the ProTek (Vifilcon A) Therapeutic Soft Contact Lens After Photorefractive Keratectomy

Purpose To test the ProTek (Vifilcon A) therapeutic soft contact lens in the alleviation of post-photorefractive keratectomy pain, its effect on epithelial healing, and its safety. Methods Forty-seven consecutive eligible patients undergoing unilateral excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia were randomly assigned to receive standard postoperative care with or without the use of a ProTek soft contact lens. Patients prospectively graded a self-administered 5-point scale for pain and a 4-point scale for abnormal sensations at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 hours after surgery. They also recorded the type and dose of all medications taken during that time period. All patients were examined on the first and third days after surgery. The lenses were worn continuously for 3 days. Results The soft contact lens group (n = 24) disclosed a statistically significant (P Conclusions The ProTek therapeutic soft contact lenses were effective in decreasing pain and other related abnormal sensations after excimer photorefractive keratectomy. They decreased dependence on pain medications and hastened epithelial healing but were not well tolerated in some patients.
Thermodynamic Properties and Ideal-Gas Enthalpies of Formation for Dicyclohexyl Sulfide, Diethylenetriamine, Di-n-octyl Sulfide, Dimethyl Carbonate, Piperazine, Hexachloroprop-1-ene, Tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene, N,N‘-Bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, and 1,2,4-Triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine

This paper reports measurements made for DIPPR Research Project 871 in the 1993 Project Year. The results of the study are aimed at improvement of group-contribution methodology for estimation of thermodynamic properties of organic substances. Specific weaknesses where particular group-contribution terms were unknown, or estimated because of lack of experimental data, are addressed by experimental studies of enthalpies of combustion in the condensed phase, vapor-pressure measurements, and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) heat-capacity measurements. Ideal-gas enthalpies of formation of hexachloroprop-1-ene, N,N‘-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, dimethyl carbonate, di-n-octyl sulfide, dicyclohexyl sulfide, diethylenetriamine, tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene, piperazine, and 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine are reported. Enthalpies of fusion were determined for N,N‘-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, piperazine and 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine. Two-phase (solid + vapor) or (liquid + vapor) heat...
Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks: Applications and Testbeds

The availability of low-cost hardware is enabling the development of wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), i.e., networks of resource-constrained wireless devices that can retrieve multimedia content such as video and audio streams, still images, and scalar sensor data from the environment. In this paper, ongoing research on prototypes of multimedia sensors and their integration into testbeds for experimental evaluation of algorithms and protocols for WMSNs are described. Furthermore, open research issues and future research directions, both at the device level and at the testbed level, are discussed. This paper is intended to be a resource for researchers interested in advancing the state-of-the-art in experimental research on wireless multimedia sensor networks.
Stimulation of splenic prostaglandin release by angiotensin and specific inhibition by cysteine8-AII

Abstract The angiotensin induced release of prostaglandin E (PGE) like material from the isolated perfused rabbit spleen was studied. The PG releasing potency of angiotensin I (AI) was found to be 2–4 % that of angiotensin II (AII). The PG release by AI was shown not to be due to the conversion of AI to AII, but rather to the direct effect of AI. Both AI and AII induced PG release were found to be inhibited by cysteine8-AII. The PG release by epinephrine was not blocked by the angiotensin antagonist. Indomethacin (an inhibitor of PG biosynthesis) blocked the PG release induced by angiotensin or epinephrine.
Anomalous dielectric relaxation in inverted micelles

Concentrated solutions of inverted micelles show highly unusual behavior in electrical conductivity and dielectric relaxation. The conductivity shows a nearly quadratic dependence of micellar volume fraction; a departure from this behavior is seen at high volume fractions accompanied by the appearance of a new and slow dielectric relaxation process that coexists with a faster (single-particle) relaxation process. The results suggest the formation of a large scale structure of micellar aggregates.
The endosymbiotic origin of the protein import machinery of chloroplastic envelope membranes

Chloroplasts have evolved a complex proteinaceous machinery to import nuclear-encoded proteins. The origin of this machinery, following the endosymbiotic events leading to chloroplasts, is an intriguing, unresolved problem. Given that cyanobacteria are the probable ancestors of chloroplasts, the genome sequence of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 offers a valuable resource to identify putative homologs for components of this protein import machinery and to gain insights into its possibly endosymbiotic origin. Detailed computational sequence analysis reveals that Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has homologs of three of the known membrane proteins of the chloroplastic translocon, namely Toc75, Tic20 and Tic22, as well as a homolog of the putative component Tic55. Thus, the chloroplastic protein import machinery is mainly derived from the endosymbiotic cyanobacterium, but, interestingly, not from any of the four main protein secretion systems of prokaryotes. The relatively high sequence variability between chloroplastic and Synechocystis proteins suggests that the ancestral proteins had different physiological roles and were modified significantly to fulfill the new demand of importing proteins into the evolving chloroplast. The fact that some chloroplastic protein import components are not related to any Synechocystis proteins (Toc159, Tic110 and Toc34) indicates that the chloroplastic protein import apparatus is of a dual evolutionary origin.
The automorphism group of the graph of anR class

IfS is anX generated semigroup andm∈S, then one can represent theR class ofm by a labeled digraph, called theR graph ofm. We show that the Schutzenberger group of theH class ofm embeds in the automorphism group of theR graph ofm, and that the embedding is an isomorphism ifm is a regular element.
Molecular dynamics simulations of sodium dodecyl sulfate micelle in water: The behavior of water

Using a 5 ns explicit atom molecular dynamics simulation of a 60 monomer sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar system containing 7579 TIP3P water molecules, the behavior of water in different electrostatic environments was examined. Structural evaluation of the system revealed that penetration of water molecules into the micelle was restricted to the headgroup region, leaving a 12 A water-free hydrocarbon core. Water molecules near the headgroup exhibit a distortion of the water−water hydrogen bonding network due to headgroup oxygen−water hydrogen bond formation. The dynamic implications of this distortion are manifested in the decay of the dipole autocorrelation function, Φ(t) and translational diffusion coefficient. We observe that while the translational diffusion coefficient of water molecules in the first solvation shell of the micelle is reduced by less than a half of its value in bulk water, the slow component of the reorientational correlation function is slowed by one or two orders of magnitude.