cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A preliminary study of urinary transferrin as a marker for prostatic cancer

Traditional serum markers used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer lack sensitivity and specificity. Prostatic fluid is in direct contact with the prostate epithelium and, thus, has been investigated as a better source for potentially useful markers. Since prostatic fluid contents can enter the urine directly through the urethra, without prerequisite entry into blood, proteins present in significant quantities in prostatic fluid represent candidate markers for entry into the urine, particularly in diseases affecting the prostate epithelium, such as adenocarcinoma. High concentrations of transferrin in prostatic fluid led us to examine urine transferrin levels, using an immunoturbidimetric technique. Urine transferrin was significantly increased in 18 out of 22 patients with prostate cancer in comparison to age-matched controls. Since there was no evidence of increased transferrin excretion, we suggest that prostatic fluid is the source of transferrinuria.
Catalysing student autonomy through action research in a problem centred learning environment

This autobiographical article describes action research, utilising a hermeneutic dialectic methodology, on the efficacy of problem-based learning. In the emergent research design, the research focus for the teacher evolved as: “Can I, as an instructor, teach science in such a way that: the use of science in real life is emphasised; an interdisciplinary approach is utilised; assessment is an integral part of instruction; and learning is student-driven, not teacher directed?” To answer this research question, the article focuses on the emergence of students' critical thinking skills, the relevance of science concepts taught, the interdisciplinary nature of the problems addressed, the use of alternative methods of assessment, and the changing roles of the teacher and the students. One significant finding reported in the article is the development of student autonomy, as the problem-based learning format allowed students freedom to pursure diverse research agendas and to accept increasing responsibility for their own learning.
Epidemiology of Enterovirus 71 Infections in Taiwan

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) was first described in USA in 1969 but retrospective studies in The Netherlands further detected EV71 in the clinical specimens collected in 1963. EV71 has one single serotype measured by using hyperimmune animal antisera but can be phylogenetically classified into three genogroups (A, B, and C) including 11 genotypes (A, B1–B5, C1–C5). In Taiwan, EV71 caused a large-scale nationwide epidemic in 1998. Retrospective studies further detected EV71 in clinical specimens collected from hand–foot–mouth disease patients in 1980 and 1986. Therefore, EV71 may have circulated in Taiwan prior to 1980. Since 1998, EV71 has cyclically caused nationwide epidemics with different predominant genotypes in 1998 (genotype C2), 2000–2001 (B4), 2005 (C4), 2008 (B5), and 2012 (B5). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that C4 viruses isolated in 2005 were probably from China, B5 viruses isolated in 2008 were probably from South Eastern Asia, and B5 viruses isolated in 2012 were probably from Xiamen, China. Several studies have collected postinfection sera from children to measure cross-reactive neutralizing antibody titers against different EV71 genotypes and found that antigenic differences between genogroup B and C viruses did not have a clear pattern but that genotype A virus was antigenically different from genogroup B and C viruses. In conclusion, EV71 cyclically caused nationwide epidemics through international importations. EV71 surveillance in Taiwan should combine genetic and serological methods.
Peristaltic behavior of disused ureteral stump.

Abstract Chronic (disused) canine ureteral stumps exhibited increased irritability as the result of which bizarre multiphasic peristaltic patterns were observed. These irregular patterns, however, tended to be monophasic with prolonged infusions. The response to bladder filling was not dissimilar to that exhibited by a normal ureteral segment.
Bactericidal complement activity and concentrations of immunoglobulin M, transferrin, and protein at different ages of channel catfish

Abstract In this study, we assessed the immune status and natural immunity at different ages in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus raised in ponds in the southeast USA. Sera were obtained from catfish at 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 months, and 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9 years of age. Catfish immunoglobulin M was quantitated by radial immunodiffusion (RID) according to the Mancini technique. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) was detected by RID at 2 months (1.5 mg/mL), and a gradual increase in IgM was seen until 5 years of age (8.2 mg/mL). Ratios of IgM to globulin remained relatively constant until 3 years of age. Bactericidal activity elicited by the alternative complement pathway (ACP) was determined with Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Aeromonas, and Edwardsiella species. Essentially no difference was seen in percent bactericidal activity against Escherichia and Pseudomonas by the ACP among the different ages of channel catfish. The bactericidal percentages were very high (100°10) against both genera except for Pseudomonas at 2...
Doppler ultrasound assessment of posterior tibial artery size in humans.

Manning J. Sabatier, PhD, Lee Stoner, MA, Matt Reifenberger, MA,* Kevin McCully, PhDDepartment of Exercise Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602Received 23 May 2005; accepted 3 November 2005ABSTRACT: Purpose. The difference between struc-tural remodeling and changes in tone of peripheralarteries in the lower extremities has not been eval-uated. The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluatethe day-to-day reproducibility and interobserver reli-ability (IOR) of posterior tibial artery (PTA) diametermeasurements and (2) evaluate the effect of postureon PTA diameter at rest (Drest), during 10 minutes ofproximal cuff occlusion (Dmin), and after the releaseof cuff occlusion (Dmax), as well as range (Dmax Dmin) and constriction [(Dmax Drest)/(Dmax Dmin) 100] in vivo.Methods. We used B-mode sonography to imagethe PTA during each condition.Results. Day-to-day reliability was good for Drest(intraclass correlation coefﬁcient [ICC] 0.95; mean dif-ference 4.2%), Dmin (ICC 0.93; mean difference 5.4%),and Dmax (ICC 0.99; mean difference 2.2%). The coef-ﬁcient of repeatability for IOR was 70.5 mm, with amean interobserver error of 4.7 mm. The seated posi-tion decreased Drest (2.6 6 0.2 to 2.4 6 0.3 mm; p ¼0.002), increased Dmin (2.1 6 0.2 to 2.4 6 0.2 mm; p ¼0.001), and decreased Dmax (3.1 6 0.4 to 2.8 6 0.3mm; p < 0.001) compared with the supine position.The seated position also decreased arterial range(Dmax Dmin) from 0.9 6 0.2 to 0.5 6 0.1 mm (p ¼0.003) and increased basal arterial constriction from57 6 19% to 105 6 27% (p ¼ 0.007).Conclusions. The system employed for measuringPTA diameter yields unbiased and consistent esti-mates. Furthermore, lower extremity arterial con-striction and range change with posture in a mannerconsistent with known changes in autonomic act-ivity.
High Resolution Detection And Estimation

New methods for adaptive detection and estimation are presented for one-dimensional and two-dimensional signals. These methods have been developed by the writers during the past four years [1-9]. It is assumed that little prior information is known and that the spatial and tempral frequencies of monochromatic, plane wave signals may be closely spaced relative to the reciprocals of the sizes of apertures in space and time.
Advances in stable CO 2 laser design and performance

The design and performance of stable, sealed-off, single-frequency CO 2 lasers developed at Lincoln Laboratory were last discussed at the June 1967 CLEA Meeting and in the June 1968 issue of the IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics. Since then, there have been many modifications and additions to the design with the aim of improving performance, versatility, and ease of assembly. An entirely new modular, internal mirror cavity frame was designed into which a choice of mirror holders, piezo-electric tuners, diffraction gratings, polarization selecting grids, choppers, and finally absorption cavities can be incorporated without greatly affecting short-term stability performance. Short-term stabilities of at least a few parts in 1013can be achieved for observation times of 0.1 second.
Religious Defenses (The Native American Church)

(1968). Religious Defenses (The Native American Church) Journal of Psychedelic Drugs: Vol. 1, Psychodelic Drugs and Religion, pp. 77-95.
Wrist arthroscopy: Indications and results

Abstract The results of 84 wrist arthroscopies in 74 patients (performed by the same surgeon) were reviewed retrospectively. Arthroscopies were categorized as "diagnostic"—to identify unknown pathology, "staging"—to assess the severity of known pathology, and "operative"—to treat known pathology. Ninety-eight percent of diagnostic arthroscopies accurately established details of the pathology in question. Ninety-six percent of staging arthroscopies helped guide future clinical management. Of the patients in the operative category, 35% improved after treatment with arthroscopy alone, requiring no further surgical intervention. This study shows that wrist arthroscopy is a powerful diagnostic and staging tool and suggests that it may also develop into a valuable treatment modality.
Hydrothermal fluid flow and deformation in large calderas: Inferences from numerical simulations

[1] Inflation and deflation of large calderas is traditionally interpreted as being induced by volume change of a discrete source embedded in an elastic or viscoelastic half-space, though it has also been suggested that hydrothermal fluids may play a role. To test the latter hypothesis, we carry out numerical simulations of hydrothermal fluid flow and poroelastic deformation in calderas by coupling two numerical codes: (1) TOUGH2 [Pruess et al., 1999], which simulates flow in porous or fractured media, and (2) BIOT2 [Hsieh, 1996], which simulates fluid flow and deformation in a linearly elastic porous medium. In the simulations, high-temperature water (350°C) is injected at variable rates into a cylinder (radius 50 km, height 3–5 km). A sensitivity analysis indicates that small differences in the values of permeability and its anisotropy, the depth and rate of hydrothermal injection, and the values of the shear modulus may lead to significant variations in the magnitude, rate, and geometry of ground surface displacement, or uplift. Some of the simulated uplift rates are similar to observed uplift rates in large calderas, suggesting that the injection of aqueous fluids into the shallow crust may explain some of the deformation observed in calderas.
Primary bone tumors.

The diagnosis of primary bone tumors is accomplished by history taking, physical examination, laboratory data base, radiography, and biopsy. The biologic behavior and prognosis for the various types of primary skeletal neoplasms are discussed as well as their response to various therapeutic modalities. The article also provides a partial compilation of the available literature pertaining to the breed, age, sex, and site incidence of primary skeletal tumors.
Some Observations on the Relationship Between Lubricant Mechanical and Dielectric Transitions Under Pressure

Viscoelastic transition measurements of several lubricants by volume dilatometry to pressures of 1.75 GPa, dielectric transitions at atmospheric pressure on five fluids in a frequency range of 0.2 to 500 kHz and on two fluids in the same frequency range to pressures of 0.55 GPa are reported. Lines of constant rate dilatometry transition, constant rate dielectric transition and constant viscosity are shown to be essentially parallel on a temperature-pressure diagram.
Osteotomy in the pediatric foot

Osteotomies are the mainstays of treatment of foot deformities in patients from age 5 to skeletal maturity. A careful biomechanical assessment allows the clinician to evaluate the deformities in the frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes of the body. It also allows the clinician to relate deformities found at the ankle, hindfoot, forefoot, and midfoot to one another and to formulate a cohesive plan of treatment. Presentations with multiple deformities in different parts of the foot and ankle are common. These deformities are not always bony. A classic example is the gastrocnemius contracture in the symptomatic flatfoot. Procedures should be planned to correct all aspects of the deformity at a single sitting if possible.
Use of Statistical Methods in Industrial Water Pollution Control Regulations in the United States

This paper describes the process for developing regulations limiting the discharge of pollutants from industrial sources into the waters of the United States. The process includies and surveys of the industry to define products, processes, wastewater sources and characteristics, appropriate subcategorization and control technologies in use. Limitations on the amounts of pollutants that may be discharged in treated wastewater are based on statistical analysis of physical and chemical analytical data characterizing the performance capability of technologies in use in the industry. A general discussion of the statistical approach employed is provided along with some examples based on work performed to support recently promulgated regulations. The determination of regulatory discharge limitations, based on estimates of percentiles of lognormal distributions of measured pollutant concentrations in treated wastewater, is presented. Modifications to account for different averaging periods and detection limit observations are discussed.
Rubber elasticity of poly(n‐butyl acrylate) networks formed with multifunctional crosslinkers

The rubber elasticity characteristics of poly(n-butyl acrylate) networks crosslinked with tetrafunctional (EGDM and TEGDM), hexafunctional (TMPTM), and octafunctional (PETMA) vinyl crosslinkers were investigated. Both gel—sol analyses and crosslinking efficiency theories were used to evaluate the chemical crosslink contribution vc and the entanglement contribution vp to the elastically effective network chains ve, and the effect of the crosslink junction functionality f on the front factor g. The front factors obtained were in the range of 0.50–0.92, depending upon the network system and the counting method for vc. The relationship of g = [(f − 2)/f]/〈r2〉/〈r2〉o seems reasonable in the case of the tetrafunctional and hexafunctional networks, but deviates in the case of the octafunctional network. It is also evident that the functionality scheme for the front factor could only be valid under the postulate of a high vp, which increases with increasing vc, especially in the high vc region near the Gaussian limit. The average energetic contribution to the retractive force of the present systems, expressed as Fe/F, is −0.30 ± 0.1.
Requiem for a fallen Polyphemus : Cameroon's Bate Besong is no more

In the first paragraph of Bate Besong or the Symbol of Anglophone Hope George Ngwane (1993) says this of Bate Besong: "Bate Besong is Bate Besong. If you call him Besong Bate, it will be someone else. His name refuses to obey the law of choice."
Design of toroidal inductors with multiple parallel foil windings

This paper presents the design of toroidal inductors with multiple parallel foil windings. Compared to single-winding toroidal inductors, parallel-winding inductors have the same inductance and core loss, but can achieve higher voltage operation, reduced capacitance, reduced leakage flux, and reduced winding resistance if designed well. The parallel-winding design concept, optimization of an example, and detailed calculation of loss including a new analysis of circumferential-current associated loss are discussed in this paper. It is predicted that for a toroid with outer radius of 1 mm, inner radius of 0.6 mm, height of 0.3 mm, 4 turns, the ac winding loss can be decreased by 32% at 50 MHz with double windings, and can be decreased by 39% with five sections of windings in parallel.
Proteomic Consequences of a Single Gene Mutation in a Colorectal Cancer Model

The proteomic effects of specific cancer-related mutations have not been well characterized. In colorectal cancer (CRC), a relatively small number of mutations in key signaling pathways appear to drive tumorigenesis. Mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a negative regulator of Wnt signaling, occur in up to 60% of CRC tumors. Here we examine the proteomic consequences of a single gene mutation by using an isogenic CRC cell culture model in which wildtype APC expression has been ectopically restored. Using LC-MS/MS label free shotgun proteomics, over 5000 proteins were identified in SW480Null (mutant APC) and SW480APC (APC restored). We observed 155 significantly differentially expressed proteins between the two cell lines, with 26 proteins showing opposite expression trends relative to gene expression measurements. Protein changes corresponded to previously characterized features of the APCNull phenotype: loss of cell adhesion proteins, increase in cell cycle regulators, alteration in Wnt signaling related proteins, and redistribution of β-catenin. Increased expression of RNA processing and isoprenoid biosynthetic proteins occurred in SW480Null cells. Therefore, shotgun proteomics reveals proteomic differences associated with a single gene change, including many novel differences that fall outside known target pathways.
Filamentary instability of a relativistic electron beam

The transverse electromagnetic or filamentary instability is reconsidered in light of recent experiments which were unable to suppress the instability by increasing the beam transverse temperature. It is found that only the applied magnetic field can stabilize the mode. While the beam temperature can cause stabilization in a collisionless, $nu$=0, plasma, for finite $nu$ the beam is unstable to filamentation if $omega$/subp//subb/$sup 2$$beta$$sup 2$$gamma$>$Omega$/subc//sube/$sup 2$ regardless of its temperature. (AIP)
Use of an Index of Biotic Integrity to Detect Effects of Land Uses on Stream Fish Communities in West-Central Georgia

Abstract An index of biotic integrity (IBI) was developed for use in the lower piedmont and upper coastal plain physiographic regions of west-central Georgia to investigate the relation between stream fish communities and land use. Fish samples and habitat data were collected at 507 sites in 340 first- to fifth-order tributary streams in the Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, and Oconee river drainages during 1990–1993. Watershed cutouts upstream of sample sites were made from raster digital files based on LANDSAT thematic mapper satellite imagery from land use and land cover data collected during the winters of 1988–1990. Six of the 12 original IBI metrics were modified to take into account regional ichthyological differences between Georgia and the midwestern United States while maintaining the basic underlying ecological assumptions. The number of darter species metric was expanded to include madtoms (Noturus spp.) and sculpins (Cottus spp.), number of intolerant species metric was expanded to include mod...
Design planning by end-user web developers

We report an exploratory research project that investigates the impacts of different forms of design planning on end users asked to develop a simple interactive web application. End users created their projects (a Ride Board application) using the CLICK end-user web development tool [J. Rode, User-centered design of end-user web development tool, Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, 2005]. Some participants were asked to create a conceptual map to plan their projects and others to write user interaction scenarios; a third group was asked to do whatever they found useful. We describe the planning that each group underwent, how they approached the web development task, and their reactions to the experience afterwards. The overall pattern of results suggests that while the participants who planned using scenarios felt they better understood the web development task, it was the group who created concept maps that explored and incorporated more of the novel programming features of the CLICK tool. We also discuss the role of gender in the CLICK development task, noting that women were less likely to explore the tool's novel features and perceived themselves as less successful in the task. We conclude with a discussion of design implications and future work.
Gender Trends of Urology Manuscript Authors in the United States: A 35-Year Progression

Purpose: The presence of women in urology has gradually increased in the last 35 years with an accelerated rate in the last decade. We evaluated manuscript authorship trends by gender. Manuscript authorship is a metric that has been used as a marker of academic productivity. We hypothesized that the number of first and last author publications by women has increased proportionately to the number of women in the field during the last 35 years.Materials and Methods: We performed a bibliometric study to examine authorship gender in The Journal of Urology® and Urology®. We reviewed all original articles published from American institutions in 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009.Results: Of the 8,313 articles reviewed 5,461 were from American institutions, including 97.5% for which we determined author gender. There were 767 articles with female authors, including 440 first and 327 last authors. First and last female authorship increased from 2.7% of all authors in 1979 to 26.5% in 2009 (test for...
High-average-power 100-Hz repetition rate table-top soft x-ray lasers

The table-top generation of high average power coherent soft x-ray radiation in a compact set up is of high interest for numerous applications. We have demonstrated the generation of bright soft x-ray laser pulses at 100 Hz repetition rate with record-high average power from compact plasma amplifiers excited by an ultrafast diode-pumped solid state laser. Results of compact λ=18.9nm Ni-like Mo and λ=13.9nm Ni-like Ag lasers operating at 100 Hz repetition rate are discussed.
Issues in Clinical Trials with the Depressed Elderly

: Despite the fact that there is a high prevalence of depression among the elderly, little research on the efficacy of psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy with the elderly has been reported in the literature. This paper describes a sample of 18 elderly patients who received both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for the treatment of depression. Psychotherapy involved weekly 30–50 minute sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy with a treating psychiatrist. The drug treatment consisted of random assignment, double-blind, to either alpra-zolam, imipramine, or pill-placebo for six weeks. The focus of therapy was on the attendance, compliance, and symptomatic relief in elderly depressed patients, as well as on the major life problems identified by these patients in psychotherapy. Results indicated that elderly patients respond to community publicity regarding a psychotherapy treatment program. However, the majority are inappropriate referrals for diagnostic reasons. If accepted, elderly patients showed good compliance with drugs, and attendance was comparable to that in younger populations. The elderly patients responded well to treatment, with immediate and marked improvement on the Hamilton and Raskin Depression Scales, which was maintained after treatment. Grief and role transitions specific to life changes were frequent antecedents to depression in this elderly population and thus were the major foci in psychotherapy.
Shell Evaluation of White and Brown Egg Strains by Deformation, Breaking Strength, Shell Thickness and Specific Gravity 1. Relationship to Egg Characteristics

Abstract Phenotypic correlations were calculated between measures of egg shell strength obtained by non-destructive deformation, breaking strength, shell thickness and specific gravity of five commercial white and brown egg strains. Correlations between values obtained by all methods were highly significant for all strains. Correlations between the strength measurements and the egg characteristics of width/length ratio, egg weight and tint of the shell between the strains were also determined. The correlations between the tint of brown shells with all methods of evaluating shell quality were not significant. Although the shell thickness, specific gravity and shell deformation values of the brown egg strains were poorer than that of the white egg strains, the breaking strength of shells from brown egg strains was higher. This indicates that thinner shells are not necessarily weaker and suggests caution against drawing conclusions from only one method of assessing shell strength. Coefficients of variation were larger for shell deformation and breaking strength measurements than for shell thickness and specific gravity. Shape (width/length ratio) and egg weight showed little correlation with any methods of assessing shell strength.
A Culture of Mutual Support: The Impact of Giving and Receiving of Practical and Emotional Support on African American Marital Satisfaction

Although the literature has discussed the extensive family network ties of African Americans and its implications for marital satisfaction, few studies incorporate primarily African American samples in studies of marital satisfaction and social networks. This study draws on a sample of African American married couples from the National Survey of American Life and explores the impact of mutual support, giving and receiving of practical and emotional support, on the marital satisfaction of husbands and wives. Results from the ordinal logistic regression analyses reveal that emotional support received from family and support given to friends are significantly related to husbands’ marital satisfaction whereas emotional support received from family and negative interaction with family contributes to wives’ marital satisfaction. Research and practice implications with African American married couples are discussed.
Diffusion-Collision Model Study of Misfolding in aFour-Helix Bundle Protein

Proteins with complex folding kinetics will be susceptible to misfolding at some stage in the folding process. We simulate this problem by using the diffusion-collision model to study non-native kinetic intermediate misfolding in a four-helix bundle protein. We find a limit on the size of the pairwise hydrophobic area loss in non-native intermediates, such that burying above this limit creates long-lasting non-native kinetic intermediates that would disrupt folding and prevent formation of the native state. Our study of misfolding suggests a method for limiting the production of misfolded kinetic intermediates for helical proteins and could, perhaps, lead to more efficient production of proteins in bulk.
Dense linear manifolds and application to linear differential operators

In an operator theory of perturbed ordinary differential operators, it is important to know whether the perturbations are closed or densely defined. All known general theorems for checking whether they are closed seem to require that the perturbing term is T-compact or have a restriction on its Tnorm (see, for example, Theorems IV.I.1, IV.I.11 of [5], Lemma V.3.5 of 13 ], and Proposition 2.5 of [8)). However, these theorems are ineffective or inconvenient to apply to the operator generated by countably many ordinary differential expressions. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is twofold: First we give new characterizations (Theorems 1,2 below) which are useful for testing the closedness of a perturbed linear operator and do not require any argument on compactness or T-norm. Secondly, using these characterizations we show in Theorems 3,4 below that a large class of operators subject to infinitely many abstract boundary conditions have densely defined domains. The main tool used here is an abstract adjoint theory. We now fix some notations. If X is a Banach space, then x* will denote the Banach space of all continuous conjugate linear functionals on X. If M is a linear manifold, then, M*, *M, MC, ‘M will denote the adjoint, the preadjoint, the closure, and the w*-closure of M, respectively. If q is a linear operator whose graph is contained in the direct sum X, @X, of Banach spaces X, and X,, then Y’f will denote the (possibly) multi-valued operator whose graph is (graph Y,)*. A similar definition applies to *p: if Yl is a linear operator whose graph is contained in g @ fl. For definitions of adjoint and preadjoint, see [2] or [9]. If D, and D, are m x it and q x r matrices, then D, @D, will denote the (m + q) x (n + r) block matrix by joining the lower right corner of D, to the upper left corner of D,. The algebraic sum of M, and M, is denoted by M, -iM,. The Hilbert space of all 1 x N complex constant matrices a with aa* < 00 (a * the conjugate transpose of a) is
A Technique for Estimating Rangeland Canopy-Gap Size Distributions From High-Resolution Digital Imagery

Abstract The amount and distribution of gaps in vegetation canopy is a useful indicator of multiple ecosystem processes and functions. In this paper, we describe a semiautomated approach for estimating canopy-gap size distributions in rangelands from high-resolution (HR) digital images using image interpretation by observers and statistical image classification techniques. We considered two different classification methods (maximum-likelihood classification and logistic regression) and both pixel-based and object-based approaches to estimate canopy-gap size distributions from 2- to 3-cm resolution UltraCamX color infrared aerial photographs for arid and semiarid shrub sites in Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico. We compare our image-based estimates to field-based measurements for the study sites. Generally, percent of input points correctly classified and kappa coefficients of agreement for plot image classifications was very high. Plots with low kappa values yielded canopy gap estimates that were very differe...
Permeability of lipid bilayers to methylmercuric chloride: Quantification by fluorescence quenching of a carbazole-labeled phospholipid

Abstract We investigated the permeabilities of lipid bilayers to the neurotoxin methylmercuric chloride (MMC). This mercurial is an efficient collisional quencher of the fluorescence of N-alkyl carbazole derivatives. Quenching of the fluorescence of β-(3-(9-carbazole)-propionyl-L-α-phosphatidylcholine (CPA-PC) in vesicles of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine and of dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine reveal rapid diffusion of MMC in the alkyl side chain regions of these bilayers. By a combination of (1) the lipid concentration dependence of the apparent quenching constants, (2) the solubility of MMC in concentrated lipid dispersions and (3) the 270 MHz proton magnetic resonance of methylmercury in the presence of lipid bilayers we conclude that the lipid-water partition coefficient of this mercurial is less than or equal to two. Using the fluorescence quenching and the partitioning data we estimate the diffusion coefficient of MMC in these bilayers to range from 0.13 to 0.31 × 10−5 cm2/sec, or 20–47% of its diffusion coefficient in ethanol. These data indicate that lipid bilayers do not pose a significant permeability barrier to the diffusional transport of MMC.
Structural basis of family-wide Rab GTPase recognition by rabenosyn-5.

Rab GTPases regulate all stages of membrane trafficking, including vesicle budding, cargo sorting, transport, tethering and fusion1,2. In the inactive (GDP-bound) conformation, accessory factors facilitate the targeting of Rab GTPases to intracellular compartments3,4,5,6,7,8. After nucleotide exchange to the active (GTP-bound) conformation, Rab GTPases interact with functionally diverse effectors including lipid kinases, motor proteins and tethering complexes. How effectors distinguish between homologous Rab GTPases represents an unresolved problem with respect to the specificity of vesicular trafficking. Using a structural proteomic approach, we have determined the specificity and structural basis underlying the interaction of the multivalent effector rabenosyn-5 with the Rab family. The results demonstrate that even the structurally similar effector domains in rabenosyn-5 can achieve highly selective recognition of distinct subsets of Rab GTPases exclusively through interactions with the switch and interswitch regions. The observed specificity is determined at a family-wide level by structural diversity in the active conformation, which governs the spatial disposition of critical conserved recognition determinants, and by a small number of both positive and negative sequence determinants that allow further discrimination between Rab GTPases with similar switch conformations.
Improving the speed and accuracy of projection-type incompressible flow solvers

Abstract Superseding so-called first-generation incompressible flow solvers of the projection type (based on Taylor–Galerkin advection, second-order pressure damping and element-based data structures), the current, second-generation solvers (based on high-order upwind advection, fourth-order pressure damping and edge-based data structures) have now been in use for half a decade and have proven remarkably robust and efficient for many large-scale problems. In order to achieve higher accuracy and speed, these solvers have recently been enhanced in a variety of ways: (a) substepping for advection, (b) implicit treatment of advective terms via SGS and GMRES-LU-SGS iterative solvers, (c) fully implicit, time-accurate advancement of pressure and velocities, and (d) linelet preconditioning for the pressure-Poisson equation. The combined effect of these third-generation improvements leads to speedups of the order of O(1:5−1:10), with similar or even better temporal accuracy, as demonstrated on a variety of academic and industrial problems.
Lentil polyphenol extract prevents angiotensin II-induced hypertension, vascular remodelling and perivascular fibrosis.

The objective of the study was to investigate whether chronic administration of the Morton lentil polyphenol extract (MLPE), which possesses rich phenolic compounds and a high antioxidant activity, had any protective effects on angiotensin II-induced hypertension. After four weeks of subcutaneous infusion of angiotensin II (200 ng kg−1 min−1) in male SD rats, the water intake and mean artery pressure was significantly increased by 39.8% and 48.3%, respectively, as compared with the control. The media/lumen ratio of the small arteries in the heart and kidneys were increased by 117% and 168% by angiotensin II infusion. The perivascular fibrosis was increased by 65% and 32% in the heart and kidneys, respectively. Levels of the reactive oxygen species in the aorta was enhanced by 115.8%. In another group of rats, which received four weeks of lentil extract administration (1% freeze-dried MLPE in the drinking water), followed by another four weeks of extract administration plus angiotensin II infusion, the angiotensin II-induced enhancement in water intake and mean artery pressures decreased by 12.7% and 8.2%, respectively, as compared with the rats that received angiotensin II infusion alone. The angiotensin II-induced rats showed increases in the media/lumen ratios which were attenuated by 43.6% and 47.2% in the small arteries of heart and kidneys, respectively. Angiotensin II-induced perivascular fibrosis was attenuated by 30% and 26% in the rats that received the extract. Angiotensin II-induced rats showed reactive oxygen species levels in the aorta was reduced by 48.9%. These findings demonstrated that lentil extract attenuated angiotensin II-induced hypertension and associated pathological changes, including remodelling and perivascular fibrosis in the small resistant arteries of heart and kidneys.
Stegatone performance characterization

Embedding data in hard copy is in widespread use for applications that include pointing the reader to on-line content by means of a URL, tracing the source of a document, labeling, and packaging. Most solutions involve placing overt marks on the page. The most common are 1D, 2D, and 3D (color) barcodes. However, while barcodes are a popular means for encoding information for printed matter, they add unsightly overt content. In order to avoid such overt content, Stegatones are clustered-dot halftones that encode a data payload by single-pixel shifts of selected dot-clusters. In a Stegatone, we can embed information in images or graphics – not in the image file, as is done in traditional watermarking, but in the halftone on the printed page. However, the recovery performance of stegatones is not well understood across a wide variety of printing technologies, models, and resolutions, along with variations of scanning resolution. It would thus be very useful to have a tool to quantify stegatone performance under these variables. The results would then be used to better calibrate the encoding system. We develop and conduct a test procedure to characterize Stegatone performance. The experimental results characterize Stegatone performance for a number of printers, scanners, and resolutions.
Lidocaine efficacy and toxicity assessed by a new, rapid method

Lidocaine (L) levels were measured by gas chromatography (GC) and a new technique of direct measurement by enzyme immunoassay (EMIT) in 50 consecutive patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit who received L. There was no significant difference between the levels by the two techniques. There was eradication of most ventricular arrhythmias in 78% of patients, partial effectiveness in 16%, and no improvement in 6%. Toxicity was mainly mild central nervous system effects, noted in 26 of the 50 patients. All six patients with serum L above 5.9 microgram/ml had signs of toxicity. EMIT was found to be accurate and much faster than the traditional GC method.
The Prospectus Directive

The Prospectus Directive, due to come into force on 1st July, 2005 (the Directive), will harmonise the requirements for the content, approval and publication of prospectuses in relation to offers of securities to the public and applications to admit securities to trading on a regulated market in the EU. It provides for maximum rather than minimum harmonisation of rules relating to prospectuses, in that member states cannot in general require compliance with standards going beyond the requirements of the Directive. Its provisions will be implemented by a Commission Regulation (the Regulation) which will also apply from 1st July, 2005 and member states are required to transpose the Directive by that date. This paper describes the mechanics of the new regime. Of particular interest to those in the business of marketing financial services are the new EU-wide rules on publication of prospectuses and advertisements in connection with them, as explained below.
Professor Knight on Limits to the Use of Capital

Scope of the paper, 331. — I. Assumptions, 333. — Standard of living, 334. — Limit to the use of capital, 334. — The problem of steady development, 336. — The rate of accumulation, 337. — II. Possible objections, 339. New capital needs, 340. — III. Assuming many varieties of capital goods and of consumer's goods, 341. — "Diminishing Returns," 342. — Standard of living, 344. — IV. Alleged "twilight zone" above zero per cent, 346. — Brakes upon borrowing, 347. — Effect upon demand for capital, 348. — The condition of indefinite waste, 349. — Perfectly elastic demand, 350. — V. Demand for "satisfactions in general," 352. — "Hoped-for security," 354. — VI. Summary of conclusions, 356.
Ionospheric Shock Front from Apollo 15 Launching

IONOSPHERIC perturbations observed at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, over a distance of more than 1,200 km following the launch of Apollo 14 were attributed1 to the arrival of an atmospheric shock front which splits2 at ionospheric heights into ion acoustic and normal acoustic modes. An opportunity to repeat these observations was provided by the launching of Apollo 15 on July 26, 1971, at 0834 EST. Ionograms were taken at our station (74: 07:52 W longitude; 40:23:25 N latitude). Ionograms taken simultaneously at Wallops Island (75:29 W longitude; 37:51 N latitude) were made available by courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We converted all ionograms to true-height.
Hydrodynamics and heat transfer in sphere assemblages—cylindrical cell models

Abstract In order to evaluate interactions between vaporizing fuel droplets, a cylindrical cell model based on a single sphere has been suggested by the authors in previous works as a replacement for the existing spherical cell model. Since wake effects are important, a multisphere cylindrical cell model has been developed in the present work. The Navier-Stokes and energy equations have been solved numerically within the representative cells for intermediate Reynolds numbers. Using a nonuniform mesh suited for the problem, several spheres in tandem are considered and the importance of wake effects in considerably reducing the drag and Nusselt number in the bulk is discussed. The quasiperiodic features of the results are indicated and compared favorably with a model assuming periodicity a priori.
New hyperbolic schemes for reliable treatment of Boussinesq equation

In this work, the nonlinear Boussinesq equation is investigated. New schemes that employ hyperbolic functions are introduced to carry out this work. New solitary wave solutions and plane periodic solutions are established.
The Impaired Social Worker

IN RECENT YEARS, various pro fessions have begun to pay increased attention to the problem of impaired practitioners. In 1972, for example, the Council on Mental Health of the Ameri can Medical Association released a statement that physicians have an ethi cal responsibility to recognize and re port impairment among colleagues. In 1976, a group of attorneys recovering from alcoholism started Lawyers Con cerned for Lawyers to address chemi cal dependence in the profession, and in 1980 a group of recovering psycholo gists inaugurated a similar group, Psy chologists Helping Psychologists (Kilburg, Nathan, & Thoreson, 1986; Knutsen, 1977; Laliotis & Grayson, 1985; McCrady, 1989). In 1981 the American Psychological Association held its first open forum on impair ment at its annual meeting (Stadler, Willing, Eberhage, & Ward, 1988). Social work's first national acknowl
Mercury speciation in the presence of polysulfides

Environmental mercury methylation appears modulated by sulfide concentrations, possibly via changes in mercury availability to sulfate reducing bacteria, the major agents of this process in aquatic systems. Consequently, there has been much recent interest in quantifying the chemical speciation and lipid solubility of mercury in the presence of sulfide and of polysulfides, which form by reaction of sulfide with elemental sulfur or as intermediates in sulfur cycling. We quantify a large increase in the solubility of cinnabar (HgS(s)) in the presence of elemental sulfur, particularly at high pH. Based on our data and those of Paquette and Helz, we propose that the complex, Hg(Sx)22-, dominates the speciation of Hg(II) in such waters. At lower sulfide concentrations and at high pH, the data are best fitted by considering also the formation of the species HgSxOH-. Octanol−water distribution (Dow) experiments confirm the charged nature of the dominant mercury−polysulfide complexes and imply the presence of a m...
Androgen metabolism in sebaceous glands from subjects with and without acne.

Objective To determine if there are differences in the activity of 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 5alpha-reductase (responsible for the production of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, respectively) in sebaceous glands obtained from men and women with and without acne. Design Single-center examination of androgen levels and sebaceous gland enzyme activity in a cohort of volunteers. Setting Academic referral center. Patients Thirty-four subjects, consisting of 8 women with acne, 10 women without acne, 8 men with acne, and 8 men without acne. Interventions Single visit for blood sampling and 2 biopsies of forehead skin. Main outcome measures Serum levels of androgens were determined and compared with the activity of 5alpha-reductase and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in sebaceous glands microdissected from skin samples. Results No significant differences in the activity of 5alpha-reductase or 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in sebaceous glands according to the presence of acne were noted in either men or women. The activity of 5alpha-reductase and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was significantly greater in sebaceous glands from men (n = 16) than women (n = 17). The oxidative activity of 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was 2-fold higher in men than women. Serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone were significantly higher in women with acne than in women without acne. No differences in serum androgen levels were noted in men on the basis of the presence of acne. Conclusions Higher serum androgen levels are associated with the presence of acne in women. A role for locally produced androgens in this process, however, cannot be excluded.
Cotton aphid (Heteroptera: Aphididae) susceptibility to commercial and experimental insecticides in the southern United States.

Cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, has a history of developing resistance to novel insecticides. A program is needed to monitor cotton aphid susceptibility to new insecticides. Concentration-mortality bioassays were conducted from 2008 to 2011 to monitor the susceptibility of cotton aphids from fields across the midsouthern United States to thiamethoxam and sulfoxaflor. Flonicamid was included in 2010 and 2011. Bioassays followed the procedures described by the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee for testing neonicotinoids against cotton aphid. Mortality was rated at 48 and 72 h. These bioassays suggest that high levels of resistance to thiamethoxam occur in cotton aphid throughout the midsouthern United States. Resistance ratios ranged from 0.9 to 562.6 at 48 h, and from 0.9 to 29.1 at 72 h. Aphid colonies tested were considered susceptible to flonicamid and sulfoxaflor. The LC50 values ranged from 1.43 to 6.60 ppm for flonicamid. The LC50 values for sulfoxaflor ranged from 1.01 to 5.85 ppm and 0.92–4.13 ppm at 48 and 72 h, respectively. These values represent the baseline variability of the susceptibility of cotton aphid to flonicamid and sulfoxaflor. The moderate level of variability observed combined with the high level of efficacy at low rates and the high reproductive rate of cotton aphid suggests that an effective resistance management plan needs to be devised for these insecticides. Flonicamid and sulfoxaflor should provide effective control of cotton aphid in areas where thiamethoxam resistance occurs. However, these insecticides need to be incorporated into a rotation strategy to preserve their efficacy against cotton aphid.
The Design of Grids in Web Surveys

Grid or matrix questions are associated with a number of problems in web surveys. In this article, we present results from two experiments testing the design of grid questions to reduce breakoffs, missing data, and satisficing. The first examines dynamic elements to help guide respondent through the grid, and on splitting a larger grid into component pieces. The second manipulates the visual complexity of the grid and on simplifying the grid. We find that using dynamic feedback to guide respondents through a multiquestion grid helps reduce missing data. Splitting the grids into component questions further reduces missing data and motivated underreporting. The visual complexity of the grid appeared to have little effect on performance.
Explaining the Variation in Gender Composition of Personnel Contributions to UN Peacekeeping Operations

How do we account for the dearth of female contributions to UN peace operations (UNPOs)? For answers, this study examines conditions that led the United Nations to move to reduce the gender imbalan...