cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Causes of Inter-County Variations in Farmers' Earnings

This article reports the findings of a cross-sectional regional analysis of inter-county variations in farmers' earnings in 1959. Location relative to industrial-urban concentrations and local demographic and economic factors were used to explain median earnings of farmers by geographic divisions in the United States. The findings indicate the following: (a) In the divisions east of the Mississippi River, the closer a county to a large city and the larger the city, the higher the farmers' earnings. The reverse is true west of the Mississippi. (b) It is truer in the South than elsewhere that local demographic factors (age, education, and color) are more important than local market conditions in explaining the levels of farmers' earnings. (c) Land and capital inputs per farm are the most important factors influencing the level of farmers' earnings. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Manganese-Cobalt Oxido Cubanes Relevant to Manganese-Doped Water Oxidation Catalysts.

Incorporation of Mn into an established water oxidation catalyst based on a Co(III)4O4 cubane was achieved by a simple and efficient assembly of permanganate, cobalt(II) acetate, and pyridine to form the cubane oxo cluster MnCo3O4(OAc)5py3 (OAc = acetate, py = pyridine) (1-OAc) in good yield. This allows characterization of electronic and chemical properties for a manganese center in a cobalt oxide environment, and provides a molecular model for Mn-doped cobalt oxides. The electronic properties of the cubane are readily tuned by exchange of the OAc– ligand for Cl– (1-Cl), NO3– (1-NO3), and pyridine ([1-py]+). EPR spectroscopy, SQUID magnetometry, and DFT calculations thoroughly characterized the valence assignment of the cubane as [MnIVCoIII3]. These cubanes are redox-active, and calculations reveal that the Co ions behave as the reservoir for electrons, but their redox potentials are tuned by the choice of ligand at Mn. This MnCo3O4 cubane system represents a new class of easily prepared, versatile, and ...
The fate of pancake vortices

Nonlinear evolution of pancake-like vortices in a uniformly rotating and stratified fluid is studied using a 3D Boussinesq numerical model at large Rossby numbers. After the initial stage of viscous decay, the simulations reveal exponential growth of toroidal circulation cells (aka Taylor vortices) at the peripheral annulus with a negative Rayleigh discriminant. At the nonlinear stage, these thin cells redistribute the angular momentum and density differently at the levels of radial outflow and inflow. Resulting layering, with a vertical stacking of sharp variations in velocity and density, enhances small-scale mixing and energy decay. Characteristic detectable stretching patterns are produced in the density field. The circulation patterns, induced by centrifugal instability, tend to homogenize the angular momentum in the vicinity of the unstable region. We demonstrate that the peak intensity of the cells and the vortex energy decay are dramatically reduced by the earth’s rotation due to conservation of t...
Are growth expectations being met? Implications for the internationalization of micro-sized ventures

Despite the rapid growth of international entrepreneurship research in the last two decades, little attention has been paid to the internationalization of micro-sized ventures. Given the influence of the entrepreneur within these micro-sized ventures, an especially relevant question is how entrepreneurial perceptions impact international growth. Drawing on organizational learning and performance feedback theory, we hypothesize that entrepreneurs who perceive the venture to have either not met or to have exceeded growth expectations will subsequently internationalize more than entrepreneurs who perceive growth expectations to have simply been met. A sample of 226 international, micro-sized ventures from the Kauffman Firm Survey is used to test the hypotheses. The results confirm a U-shaped relationship between entrepreneurial perceptions and internationalization. The relationship is more pronounced among innovative micro-sized ventures than non-innovative ones. This study adds to the international entrepreneurship research stream with an emphasis on the entrepreneur and specifically highlights the role of perceptions.
Demonstration of provably secure quantum key distribution (QKD)

Optimized Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols revolutionize the cyber security by leveraging the quantum phenomenon for development of unbreakable security. Configurable quantum networks are necessary for accessible quantum applications amongst multiple users. Quantum key distribution is particularly interesting because of the many ways in which the key exchange can be carried out. Keys can be exchanged by encoding the key into a weak photon source using classical methods, or the keys can be exchanged using pairs of photons entangled at the source, or the keys can even be exchanged by encoding with classical hardware at the source with an entangling measurement which occurs at the photons destination. Each type of quantum key exchange has its own requirements that must be met for point-to-point implementations which makes it exceedingly difficult to implement multi-node quantum networks. We propose a programmable network model to time encoded quantum key distribution; this version of QKD sends entangled photons to two users and the hardware is setup such that the relative time shift in the coincident photons encodes which measurement basis was used. The protocols were first simulated by modifying previous software which used the CHP quantum simulator, and then a point-to-point key exchange was setup in hardware to demonstrate the time encoding aspects of the protocol.
Ultraviolet Hyperspectral Interferometric Microscopy

Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for quantitative (bio)chemical analysis, but its application to molecular imaging and microscopy has been limited. Here we introduce ultraviolet hyperspectral interferometric (UHI) microscopy, which leverages coherent detection of optical fields to overcome significant challenges associated with UV spectroscopy when applied to molecular imaging. We demonstrate that this method enables quantitative spectral analysis of important endogenous biomolecules with subcellular spatial resolution and sensitivity to nanometer-scaled structures for label-free molecular imaging of live cells.
Influence of Hepatic Encephalopathy on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is associated with decrements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), but the specific effects of encephalopathy, especially subclinical, on quality of life are incompletely understood. Therefore, the aim of our study was to define the effects of encephalopathy on specific domains of HRQOL in a sample of patients with advanced liver disease. The sample consisted of 160 patients with cirrhosis presenting for liver transplantation evaluation. Health-related quality of life was measured with the Short Form-36 questionnaire. Clinical, demographic, and laboratory data were collected. The presence and degree of encephalopathy was ascertained clinically and by the use of the Reitan trail test. HRQOL scores were compared according to liver disease severity and to the presence and degree of encephalopathy. In addition, scores were compared to US population norms. Data were obtained from 148 patients. Compared to the US general population, the physical and mental component summary scores were lower in patients with cirrhosis. Among patients with cirrhosis, there were no significant differences in the physical and mental component summary scores according to age, gender, ethnicity, and etiology (hepatocellular versus/ cholestatic and HCV versus non-HCV). Increasing severity of liver disease (based on the Child-Pugh score), a history of hospitalizations, and a history of ascites were associated with decreased physical component summary scores but not mental component summary scores. Patients with encephalopathy (overt and subclinical) had decreased physical and mental component summary scores compared to patients without encephalopathy. Compared to patients without encephalopathy, those with subclinical encephalopathy had a lower mental component summary score. In conclusion, cirrhosis is associated with a decreased HRQOL, especially at advanced stages. Increased severity of liver disease is associated with decreased physical aspects of quality of life. Overt hepatic encephalopathy negatively affects both physical and mental aspects of quality of life, whereas subclinical encephalopathy affects mainly the mental aspects, independently of liver disease severity.
Characterization of the Phosphotransferase Activity of Red Cell Acid Phosphatase (ACP1)

Red cell acid phosphatase (ACP1) is well established as a useful genetic marker in population studies, in paternity testing, and in the forensic analysis of bloodstains. One interesting biochemical property of this marker is its striking activity increase in the presence of certain alcohols (1–3). This property has been exploited to enhance the sensitivity of ACP1 detection in electrophoretic typing systems (4). We describe here important features of this enhancement phenomenon.
CLOUDS AND FOG | Cloud Microphysics

The microphysics of a cloud is concerned with the aqueous particles making up the cloud, how they are classified, and how they change with time. The particles, either liquid or solid (ice), vary greatly in size and shape, so mathematical methods are used to characterize them. The growth of cloud particles, as well as any transformation of phase, is determined by considering the physics of condensation, collision–coalescence, and nucleation. The diverse physical processes operate in a complicated dynamical environment to produce the precipitation that falls to the ground.
Variability in Retronasal Odor Identification Among Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

BackgroundRetronasal olfaction is important in flavor detection and enjoyment. The ability to identify specific individual retronasal odors may play a role in quality of life for patients with chro...
Optical DNA

A certificate of authenticity (COA) is an inexpensive physical object with a random and unique structure S which is hard to near-exactly replicate. An inexpensive device should be able to scan object's physical "fingerprint," a set of features that represents S. In this paper, we explore one set of requirements that optical media such as DVDs should satisfy, to be considered as COAs. As manufacturing of such media produces inevitable errors, we use the locations and count of these errors as a "fingerprint" for each optical disc: its optical DNA. The "fingerprint" is signed using publisher's private-key and the resulting signature is stored onto the optical medium using a post-production process. Standard DVD players with altered firmware that includes publisher's public-key, should be able to verify the authenticity of DVDs protected with optical DNA. Our key finding is that for the proposed protocol, only DVDs with exceptional wear-and-tear characteristics would result in an inexpensive and viable anti-counterfeiting technology.
Land carbon models underestimate the severity and duration of drought’s impact on plant productivity

The ability to accurately predict ecosystem drought response and recovery is necessary to produce reliable forecasts of land carbon uptake and future climate. Using a suite of models from the Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP), we assessed modeled net primary productivity (NPP) response to, and recovery from, drought events against a benchmark derived from tree ring observations between 1948 and 2008 across forested regions of the US and Europe. We find short lag times (0-6 months) between climate anomalies and modeled NPP response. Although models accurately simulate the direction of drought legacy effects (i.e. NPP decreases), projected effects are approximately four times shorter and four times weaker than observations suggest. This discrepancy between observed and simulated vegetation recovery from drought reveals a potential critical model deficiency. Since productivity is a crucial component of the land carbon balance, models that underestimate drought recovery time could overestimate predictions of future land carbon sink strength and, consequently, underestimate forecasts of atmospheric CO2.
Self-Aligned Solution-Processed Zinc-Tin Oxide Thin-Film Transistors with High-K Solution-Processed Gate Dielectric

We demonstrate high performance zinc-tin oxide (ZTO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with low operation voltage, small channel length and low parasitic capacitance. Both the zinc tin oxide and the high-k dielectric, ZrO2, were solution processed by sol-gel methods. A self-aligned process was employed to minimize the parasitic capacitance. The transistors with a channel length of 8 µm operate at 5 V and have a saturation mobility of 2.5 cm2/V•s and an on/off ratio of 5.9×106. Gate-induced surface relief has been found to have strong effect on the performance of the active layer.
Introducing Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) into the Landscape of Jungian Thought

Whereas research in the craniosacral field tends to focus on the benefits for the individual, in this paper I go a step further to argue that because of its psychoid nature, biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) acts as an embodied practice to raise earth consciousness at both the collective and individual levels. The therapy is a light-touch practice grounded in empathetic presence in which practitioners work to attune the subtle rhythms of their own body, the client’s body, and the “body” of the environment and natural world in which they meet. Referencing my clinical experience, the essay proposes that craniosacral biodynamics, bringing consciousness to the human organism, may offer a felt experience of the interconnectedness of all being, even bringing to consciousness our relationship with the earth itself. This essay highlights where Jungian theory and BCST not only overlap but also where they might support each other to revision our relationship to the planet.
A molecular orbital study of lithium ion association with bases. I. The carbonyl bases R2CO

Abstract Ab initio SCF calculations have been performed to determine the relative lithium ion affinities of the carbonyl bases R 2 CO and the structures of the complexes R 2 COLi + . The predicted order of lithium ion affinity for the bases R 2 CO with respect to R is NH 2 > CH 3 > OH > H > F. Except for (OH) 2 COLi + which has C a , symmetry, the complexes R 2 COLi + have C 2v symmetry, with the lithium ion located on the symmetry axis near the oxygen. The major structural changes in the intramolecular coordinates of the bases which occur upon lithium ion complexation include an increase in the carbonyl CO bond length, a decrease in the length of the bond from the carbonyl carbon to the substituent atom X, and an increase in the XCX angle at the carbonyl carbon. The energetic, structural, and electronic properties of the complexes indicate that the interaction between the lithium ion and a carbonyl base is predominantly an ion-dipole attraction rather than a covalent interaction.
Distinguishing computer graphics from photographic images using local binary patterns

With the ongoing development of rendering technology, computer graphics (CG) are sometimes so photorealistic that to distinguish them from photographic images (PG) by human eyes has become difficult. To this end, many methods have been developed for automatic CG and PG classification. In this paper, we explore the statistical difference of uniform gray-scale invariant local binary patterns (LBP) to distinguish CG from PG with the help of support vector machines (SVM). We select YCbCr as the color model. The original JPEG coefficients of Y and Cr components, and their prediction errors are used for LBP calculation. From each 2-D array, we obtain 59 LBP features. In total, four groups of 59 features are obtained from each image. The proposed features have been tested with thousands of CG and PG. Classification accuracy reaches 98.3% with SVM and outperforms the state-of-the-art works.
MRI EFFECTS ON PACEMAKER/ICD STABILITY: SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ANY LONGER? AN IN VIVO STUDY

The maturation of pacemaker/ICD safety in the MRI has catalyzed considerable interest in more routine clinical use. However, limitations to widespread adoption of this seemingly implausible concept just a few years ago remain. Among them is the impact of high magnetic fields, RF and oscillatory
Application of matrix theory in design and calibration of spacecraft ground system

The ground wire is very important for the stable and reliable of Spacecraft System. After summarizing the existing resistance analysis method of spacecraft system, the article proposes a feature matrix model used to represent the resistance properties of the ground system. The feasibility of the model has been proved from theoretical analysis and verified by experiments. This model has solved the problem of calculating the resistance value of the tributary of the spacecraft system effectively. It is valuable and convenient to design, calibration and fault diagnosis for Spacecraft Ground System.
Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury causes three major pathologic patterns of injury to the lung. These include acute and organizing diffuse alveolar damage, organizing pneumonia, and acute fibrinous organizing pneumonia. This pathology is characteristically temporally uniform, i.e., occurs at a single point in time, and is found in the setting of overlapping clinical features. There are many possible etiologies, including infections, systemic inflammatory diseases such as connective tissue diseases, environmental exposures, drug reactions, and iatrogenic causes. Because these pathologic patterns may arise in many different clinical scenarios, a multidisciplinary approach (radiologic-pathologic and clinical) is needed to define the etiology and the appropriate therapy.
Neurological Complications Among Native Americans with COVID-19: Our Experience at a Tertiary Care Academic Hospital in the U.S.

Abstract Objective To study the central nervous system (CNS) complications in patients with COVID-19 infection especially among Native American population in the current pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (COVID-19). Methods Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection at University of New Mexico hospital (UNMH) were screened for development of neurological complications during Feb 01 to April 29, 2020 via retrospective chart review. Results Total of 90 hospitalized patients were screened. Out of seven patients, majority were Native Americans females, and developed neurological complications including subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), Intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH), Ischemic stroke (IS) and seizure. All 7 patients required Intensive care unit (ICU) level of care. Patients who developed CNS complications other than seizure were females in the younger age group (4 patients, 38-58 years) with poor outcome. Out of 7, three developed subarachnoid hemorrhage, two developed ischemic infarction, and four developed seizure. Two patients with hemorrhagic complication expired during the course of hospitalization. All three patients with seizure were discharged to home. Conclusion Patients with serious CNS complications secondary to COVID-19 infection were observed to be Native Americans. Patients who developed hemorrhagic or ischemic events were observed to have poor outcomes as compared to patients who developed seizures.
Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK)-regulated genes with predicted signal peptides function in the Glycine max defense response to the root pathogenic nematode Heterodera glycines

Glycine max has 32 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), nine of them exhibiting defense functions (defense MAPKs) to the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera glycines. RNA seq analyses of transgenic G. max lines overexpressing (OE) each defense MAPK has led to the identification of 309 genes that are increased in their relative transcript abundance by all 9 defense MAPKs. Here, 71 of those genes are shown to also have measurable amounts of transcript in H. glycines-induced nurse cells (syncytia) produced in the root that are undergoing a defense response. The 71 genes have been grouped into 7 types, based on their expression profile. Among the 71 genes are 8 putatively-secreted proteins that include a galactose mutarotase-like protein, pollen Ole e 1 allergen and extensin protein, endomembrane protein 70 protein, O-glycosyl hydrolase 17 protein, glycosyl hydrolase 32 protein, FASCICLIN-like arabinogalactan protein 17 precursor, secreted peroxidase and a pathogenesis-related thaumatin protein. Functional transgenic analyses of all 8 of these candidate defense genes that employ their overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) demonstrate they have a role in defense. Overexpression experiments that increase the relative transcript abundance of the candidate defense gene reduces the ability that the plant parasitic nematode Heterodera glycines has in completing its life cycle while, in contrast, RNAi of these genes leads to an increase in parasitism. The results provide a genomic analysis of the importance of MAPK signaling in relation to the secretion apparatus during the defense process defense in the G. max-H. glycines pathosystem and identify additional targets for future studies.
474 Resection of perianal CIS with V-Y graft reconstruction

V-Y flap for reconstruction after perianal resection of CIS Perianal CIS should be resected if the lesion is large, invasion cannot be ruled out or if it extends into the anal canal. Split thickness skin grafts do not take well around the anus and strictures may occur. The V-Y advancement flap is ideal as it can be advanced 2–3 cm with an excellent blood supply. This video will show the technique of resection of a large perianal CIS extending into the anal canal, preservation of the anal sphincter and reconstruction with V-Y flap.
The Integrator complex at the crossroad of coding and noncoding RNA

Genomic transcription is fundamental to all organisms. In metazoans, the Integrator complex is required for endonucleolytic processing of noncoding RNAs, regulation of RNA polymerase II pause-release, and premature transcription attenuation at coding genes. Recent insights into the structural composition and evolution of Integrator subunits have informed our understanding of its biochemical functionality. Moreover, studies in multiple model organisms point to an essential function of Integrator in signaling response and cellular development, highlighting a key role in neuronal differentiation. Indeed, alterations in Integrator complex subunits have been identified in patients with neurodevelopmental diseases and cancer. Taken together, we propose that Integrator is a central regulator of transcriptional processes and that its evolution reflects genomic complexity in regulatory elements and chromatin architecture.
pH Adaptation Drives Diverse Phenotypes in a Beneficial Bacterium-Host Mutualism

Abiotic variation can influence the evolution of specific phenotypes that contribute to the diversity of strains observed in the natural environment. Environmentally transmitted symbiotic bacteria are particularly vulnerable to abiotic fluctuations, given that they must accommodate the transition between the free-living state and the host’s internal environment. This type of life history strategy can strongly influence the success of a symbiont, and whether adapting to changes outside the host will allow a greater capacity to survive in symbiosis with the host partner. One example of how environmental breadth is advantageous to the symbiosis is the beneficial association between Vibrio fischeri and sepiolid squids (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae). Since Vibrio bacteria are environmentally transmitted, they are subject to a wide variety of abiotic variables prior to infecting juvenile squids and must be poised to survive in the host light organ. In order to better understand how a changing abiotic factor (e.g., pH) influences the diversification of symbionts and their eventual symbiotic competence, we used an experimental evolution approach to ascertain how pH adaptation affects symbiont fitness. Results show that low pH adapted Vibrio strains have more efficient colonization rates compared to their ancestral strains. In addition, growth rates had significant differences compared to ancestral strains (pH 6.5-6.8, and 7.2). Bioluminescence production (a marker for symbiont competence) of pH evolved strains also improved at pH 6.5-7.2. Results imply that the evolution and diversification of Vibrio strains adapted to low pH outside the squid improves fitness inside the squid by allowing a higher success rate for host colonization and symbiotic competence.
Facial Expression Neutralization With StoicNet

Expression neutralization is the process of synthetically altering an image of a face so as to remove any facial expression from it without changing the face’s identity. Facial expression neutralization could have a variety of applications, particularly in the realms of facial recognition, in action unit analysis, or even improving the quality of identification pictures for various types of documents. Our proposed model, StoicNet, combines the robust encoding capacity of variational autoencoders, the generative power of generative adversarial networks, and the enhancing capabilities of super resolution networks with a learned encoding transformation to achieve compelling expression neutralization, while preserving the identity of the input face. Objective experiments demonstrate that StoicNet successfully generates realistic, identity-preserved faces with neutral expressions, regardless of the emotion or expression intensity of the input face.
A review of thermal physics and management inside lithium-ion batteries for high energy density and fast charging

Abstract Traditionally it has been assumed that battery thermal management systems should be designed to maintain the battery temperature around room temperature. That is not always true as lithium-ion battery (LIB) RD the battery heat needs to be retained or dissipated to elevate or avoid temperature rise.
Growth failure in infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome in the neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE To assess if infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) are smaller at birth and have decreased growth parameters between birth and discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHODS Retrospective data analysis of term/late-preterm neonates with NAS at a single-center NICU between September 2006 and May 2018. Growth parameters (weight, length, HC) were measured at birth and discharge. Z scores and percentiles were calculated using WHO standard growth curves. RESULTS A total of 864 infants ≥35 weeks were admitted for NAS. At birth, median percentiles were weight 30%, HC 23%, and length 37%; these decreased significantly (p < 0.001) at discharge to 12%, 6.5%, and 13%, respectively. The percentage of infants <3rd percentile increased significantly (p < 0.001) in all growth parameters from birth to discharge. CONCLUSION Infants with NAS are smaller at birth and have significant growth retardation in all growth parameters at discharge. An ongoing long-term growth follow-up study will discern the impact of growth restriction in NAS infants.
Sensitivity and specificity of Point-of-Care ocular ultrasound for optic neuritis: a hypothesis generating study

Purpose: This retrospective study compares point-of-care ocular ultrasound to MRI in order to establish preliminary data for and identify challenges to a multicenter study into the utility of ocular ultrasound for diagnosing optic neuritis. Methods: Our ultrasound archive was queried to identify subjects suspected of having optic neuritis who underwent ocular ultrasound and MRI of the brain or orbit. Blinded ultrasounds were reviewed by ultrasound faculty. The presence of optic disc elevation, optic nerve, or sheath dilation, and overall impression were recorded and compared to MRI results. Sensitivity and specificity of each ultrasound finding and the overall impression, as well as agreement between the raters, were calculated. Results: Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for MRI confirmed optic neuritis was 100 % (95 % CI 54.1-100) and 58.3 % (95 % CI 27.7-84.8). Optic nerve sheath diameter had nearly perfect agreement (κ = 0.8828), however agreement on optic disc elevation (κ = 0.5641), nerve diameter (κ = 0.2174), and overall agreement (κ = 0.1818) were moderate, fair, and poor, respectively. Conclusions: This preliminary study estimates test characteristics of ocular ultrasound for the diagnosis of optic neuritis for the purposes of power analysis and to identify potential pitfalls in preparation for a larger prospective investigation.
User Oriented Approach to Housing Design for Indians

Indians not living on reservations in rural American have serious housing problems. A study of Indian families in rural Oklahoma was taken in an effort to: (1) document the plight of these people; (2) study the interplay of socioeconomic and physical environmental conditions associated with their housing; and (3) learn what can be done to help them. The primary purposes of the study were: (1) to accurately quantify their existing housing conditions; and (2) to determine other forms of physical community organization and house complexes that might be preferable. The results of this study show that existing rural Indian housing in Oklahoma is: (1) inadequate; (2) conducive to low health standards; and (3) lacking in esthetic amenities. A microcommunity composed of several houses belonging to one extended family with certain shared facilities may be a desirable alternative.
Ultraviolet observations of comet Hale-Bopp

Ultraviolet spectroscopy and imaging of comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) were obtained from a variety of space platforms from shortly after the discovery of the comet through perihelion passage. Observations with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spanned the range of 6.8 to 2.7 AU pre-perihelion, but IUE was decommissioned in September 1996 and HST was precluded from near-perihelion observations because of its solar avoidance constraint. In September 1996, observations were made by the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) that showed the presence of soft X-rays offset from the optical center of the coma and provided a sensitive spectroscopic upper limit to the Ne/O abundance ratio. During the perihelion period NASA mounted a successful campaign of four sounding rockets that were launched at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, between March 25 and April 8, 1997. The payloads included long-slit spectroscopy and ultraviolet imaging polarimetry. In addition, Hale-Bopp was observed near perihelion by ultraviolet instruments on orbiting spacecraft that were designed for solar or terrestrial observations. Observations with HST, using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), installed during the February 1997 servicing mission, resumed in August 1997. Intercomparison of the ultraviolet observations and comparison with the results on gas composition and activity from ground-based visible, infrared and radio observations may permit the resolution of many discrepant results present in the literature.
Experiments in exponential stabilization of a mobile robot towing a trailer

Applies some previously developed control laws for stabilization of mechanical systems with non-holonomic constraints to an experimental system consisting of a mobile robot towing a trailer. The authors verify the applicability of various control laws which have appeared in the recent literature, and compare the performance of these controllers in an experimental setting. In particular, the authors show that time-periodic, non-smooth controllers can be used to achieve exponential stability of a desired equilibrium configuration, and that these controllers outperform smooth, time-varying control laws. The authors also point out several practical considerations which must be taken into account when implementing these controllers.
Monopoles and Astrophysics

The purpose of this workshop is to discuss various aspects of superheavy magnetic monopoles, Coleman and Goldhaber have told us what a grand unified monopole is. It is a topologically-stable, classical configuration of gauge and Higgs fields which is present in the low-energy theory when a semisimple group G breaks down to a group G’ which contains a U(1) factor.1 The long-range fields of this configuration are those of a magnetic monopole with magnetic charge h = n(2π/e) ≃ n(69e), n = ±1, ±2, ..., and the energy associated with this configuration is 0(M/α) where M is the scale of spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) and α is the gauge coupling constant. For SU(5) M ≃ 1014 GeV, and the monopole mass m ≃ 1016 GeV (≃10-8 grams!). In my review I will discuss where the magnetic monopoles with us today came from and how many we should expect.
Patterns of failure after trimodality therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Abstract Background . Malignant pleural mesothelioma is uncommon, and presently, no standard treatment of this disease exists. The objective of our analysis was to study the patterns of failure for malignant pleural mesothelioma after trimodality treatment consisting of extrapleural pneumonectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Methods . Between 1987 and 1993, 49 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy. There were two perioperative deaths, and 1 patient died 5 weeks after extrapleural pneumonectomy. Thirty-five of the surviving patients received adjuvant chemotherapy (32/35 received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin) followed by hemithorax radiation therapy. Ten patients received chemotherapy but no radiation therapy, and 1 patient received no adjuvant therapy. Median follow-up time for the 23 living patients from the date of operation was 18 months. Results . Of the 46 evaluable patients, 25 had recurrence (54%), with a median time to first failure of 19 months (range, 5 to 51 months). The sites of first recurrence were local in 35% of patients, abdominal in 26%, the contralateral thorax in 17%, and other distant sites in 8%. (Some patients had recurrence in multiple sites simultaneously.) Conclusions . The most common site of failure after trimodality therapy was the ipsilateral hemithorax. Isolated distant failures were uncommon. Future strategies should investigate methods of enhancing local tumor control. (Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:334–8)
Increased deafferentation-induced cell death in chick brainstem auditory neurons following blockade of mitochondrial protein synthesis with chloramphenicol

Second-order auditory neurons in nucleus magnocellularis (NM) of the chick brainstem undergo a series of rapid metabolic changes following unilateral cochlea removal, culminating in the death of 25% of NM neurons. Within hours of cochlea removal, ipsilateral NM neurons show marked increases in histochemical staining for the mitochondrial enzymes succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase (CO). We have shown previously in an ultrastructural study that these increases in oxidative capacity are mediated in part by a rapid increase in mitochondrial volume within deafferented neurons. In neurons that are destined to die as a result of deafferentation, mitochondria are smaller, stain poorly for CO, and often contain vacuoles associated with oxidative dysfunction. Our present set of experiments is designed to test the hypothesis that increases in oxidative metabolism are necessary for NM neuronal survival following removal of afferent input. We used chloramphenicol (CAP), a mitochondrial protein synthesis inhibitor, to block the characteristic increase in CO activity and mitochondrial proliferation following cochlea removal. We then studied the effects of CAP on NM neuronal survival following deafferentation. When CAP was administered continuously at 600 mg/kg/d for 5 d following cochlea removal, deafferentation-induced neuronal death in NM was significantly increased from 22% to 36%. Higher-dose (1200 mg/kg/d) pulses of CAP were administered for the first 6, 12, or 24 hr following cochlea removal. After 5 d survival, greater increases in neuronal cell death were found in animals treated for the first 12 or 24 hr (65% neuronal death). CAP administration for the first 6 hr had no significant effect on neuronal survival. The effects of CAP on neuronal cell death in NM are not likely to be due to systemic effects of the drug, but instead to a specific change in mitochondrial function. Our results suggest that enhanced oxidative enzyme function plays an important role in the survival of NM neurons during the first 24 hr after deafferentation. The nature of the signal(s) eliciting mitochondrial enhancement and the means by which it influences NM survival are not known.
The Growth and Decline of Indigo Production in Colonial Brazil: A Study in Comparative Economic History

Not long ago an authority on dyeing observed that “in the history of the dyeing industry indigo holds a unique place by reason of its irresistible rise to supremacy among dyestuffs and its equally rapid dethronement by the modern chemical colors. …” Among the sources of this once flourishing industry, one that has never been studied adequately is that of colonial Brazil. Commercial indigo production began there in the early 1760's, but after an impressive start the industry disappeared within less than two generations. Its beginnings occurred at a time when Portugal, like other imperial powers of that era, was seeking to diversify the agriculture of her colonies so as to make them more lucrative to the mother country. A study of the industry's brief tenure in Portugal's most important colony reveals some of the problems that confronted its planters, merchants, and royal officials as they attempted, with limited experience and inadequate supporting capital, to develop new sources of income during a period of keen international economic rivalry. The factors involved in the rise and decline of the Brazilian indigo industry can best be appreciated when it is examined as part of the global history of indigo production and trade between the late fifteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Mineral Associations and Average Oxidation States of Sorbed Pu on Tuff

Subsurface transport of groundwater contaminants is greatly influenced by chemical speciation, precipitation, and sorption processes. The transport of Pu potentially released from spent nuclear fuel disposal and storage sites will be dependent on its interaction with mineral surfaces and speciation in the subsurface. The sorption of dissolved Pu(V) on a natural zeolitic tuff that was equilibrated with synthetic groundwater was examined using synchrotron-based microanalytical techniques. The tuff contained trace quantities of smectites and iron and manganese oxides, which are present as fracture fill and pore space materials. Synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) showed that Pu is predominantly associated with manganese oxides (rancieite) and smectites but not with iron oxides (hematite). In situ micro-X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy measurements on two highly enriched regions of Pu indicated that the average oxidation state of sorbed Pu was (+V) in one region and (+VI) in the other. The observed heterogeneous speciation of the sorbed Pu demonstrates the complex nature of this process. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations indicated that the solution was dominated by negatively charged Pu species, suggesting that sorption to the negatively charged manganese oxide surfaces would be energetically prohibited. Subsequent speciation changes upon sorption to manganese oxide surfaces are discussed.
Yield surfaces of various periodic metal honeycombs at intermediate relative density

Abstract Initial yield surfaces are derived for several periodic metal honeycomb cell structures with sufficiently high relative density that failure occurs by plastic yielding. Both in-plane stress states (normal stresses perpendicular to cell axes, with in-plane shear) and triaxial stress states with one principal stress direction along the cell axes are considered. Beam/column and plate/shell yield criteria are adopted to address general in-plane loading and 3D triaxial loading, respectively, accounting for combined cell wall stretching and bending as appropriate. Cell wall behavior is assumed to be elastic-perfectly plastic. The initial yield surfaces for different periodic cell structures are systematically compared. Some issues related to the initial yield surfaces of various honeycombs are discussed, including dependencies on relative density and in-plane and out-of-plane applied stresses, as well as the influence of joints between cell walls.
Vector Velocity Imaging can be used to analyze function and dyssynchrony of the right ventricle in patients with tetralogy of Fallot

Methods Siemens Vector Velocity Imaging software was enabled to analzye CMR cine data. Peak systolic strain, systolic and diastolic strain rate, and systolic dyssynchrony (mean time to peak systolic strain and strain rate) were compared for the right ventricle in the four chamber view by CMR cine of 10 patients with tetralogy of Fallot (mean age 10 years, 5 males) and 10 normal patients (mean age 19 years, 3 males)
Effects of 4 weeks treatment with chlorpromazine and/or trihexyphenidyl on the pituitary-gonadal axis in male paranoid schizophrenics.

Serum prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T) levels were estimated in a group of 30 male paranoid schizophrenics before and after 4 weeks treatment with chlorpromazine and/or trihexyphenidyl, and in a group of 14 healthy male individuals. After treatment with chlorpromazine (100 mg t.i.d., p. o.), 10 patients presented a significant increase in serum PRL values and a significant decrease in serum T values. A significant increase in serum PRL values was also found in 10 patients who were treated with chlorpromazine (100 mg t.i.d., p. o.) plus trihexyphenidyl (5 mg t.i.d., p. o.). No significant difference in any of the investigated endocrine parameters was detected in 10 patients after 4 weeks administration of trihexyphenidyl (5mg t.i.d., p.o.). Following chlorpromazine treatment with or without concomitant administration of trihexyphenidyl, 20 patients showed a significant increase in serum PRL levels and a significant decrease in serum LH and T levels.
Replication and meiotic transmission of yeast ribosomal RNA genes

Abstract The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has approximately 120 genes for the ribosomal RNAs (rDNA) which are organized in tandem within chromosomal DNA. These multiple-copy genes are homogeneous in sequence but can undergo changes in copy number and topology. To determine if these changes reflect unusual features of rDNA metabolism, we have examined both the replication of rDNA in the mitotic cell cycle and the inheritance of rDNA during meiosis. The results indicate that rDNA behaves identically to chromosomal DNA: each rDNA unit is replicated once during the S phase of each cell cycle and each unit is conserved through meiosis. Therefore, the flexibility in copy number and topology of rDNA does not arise from the selective replication of units in each S phase nor by the selective inheritance of units in meiosis.
Clinical Utility of Computed Tomography Screening of Chest, Abdomen, and Sinuses before Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: The St. Jude Experience

Abstract All allogeneic (allo) and autologous (auto) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital undergo pre-HSCT computed tomography (CT) of the sinuses, chest, and abdomen because they are at significant risk for opportunistic infections. We studied whether this extensive routine imaging is warranted to detect infection despite the risk of additional radiation exposure. We reviewed the medical records of all children receiving allo- and auto-HSCT at St. Jude in 2004 and 2005. Of the 184 eligible patients who received 187 transplants, 131 received allografts and 56 autografts. Solid tumors and lymphomas were removed from the final analysis of the chest and abdomen CT as this imaging is typically warranted as part of disease restaging; thus, 111 allogeneic participants were included in this analysis. Both auto- and allo-recipients were evaluated by sinus CT and included in this final analysis. Most allo- and auto-HSCT recipients (≥80%) did not have sinus, pulmonary, cardiac, or gastrointestinal symptoms; >85% of the evaluable allo-recipients had no prior fungal infection. Eighty-eight allo- and 31 auto-HSCT recipients had abnormal sinus CT findings, all unrelated to the underlying disease. Sixty-two (55.9%) of the allo-recipients had normal chest CT and 85 (76.6%) had normal abdominal CT. Of the 18 allo-recipients who began new therapy based on these findings, only 2 (11.1%) were related to chest CT findings and the other 16 were related to sinus findings. Our findings suggest that pre-HSCT routine CT imaging of the abdomen may not be warranted in a subset of allogeneic recipients who are asymptomatic and without previous infectious findings. Thus, these patients may be spared unnecessary radiation exposure. Recipients undergoing auto-HSCT or allo-HSCT for lymphomas or solid tumors will routinely undergo chest and abdominal CT imaging as part of their disease evaluation. The decision to perform chest CT should be made judiciously based on a careful history and physical examination. Sinus imaging, which was frequently abnormal, may be justified in all patients to plan post-HSCT care.
The effects of γ-instability on the muonic X-ray of 192Os☆

Abstract Feasibility studies of the observation of effects arising from the transitional nature of 192Os on its muonic X-rays are presented. Muonic K X-ray spectra are calculated, using E2 matrix elements from experiments and from Baranger-Kumar calculations. Experimentally observable energy shifts result from the nuclear γ-unstable nature of 192Os.
Age differences in the control of a precision reach to grasp task within a desktop virtual environment

The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the fine motor performance of young and older adults on a reach to grasp task in a desktop virtual environment with increasing precision requirements. Aging brings about potential loss of an individual's function due to disease, injury, or the degenerative nature of aging itself. Three-dimensional virtual environments have been identified as systems with good potential to ameliorate such problems in older individuals, and precise fine motor skills represent an important class of functional skills. Two groups of participants (Young, n=10, mean age 21.3 years, range 20-24, senior, n=10, mean age 70.7 years, range 60-85) performed a reach to grasp in a desktop virtual environment with simple, low contrast graphics. Results indicate that visual feedback of the hand for sensory guidance of movement did not improve motor performance for either group, and that as precision requirements of the task increased, age group differences in movement time and peak grasp aperture also increased. These findings extend the literature on age group differences in human motor control across the lifespan and differ from previous studies which showed presence of visual feedback of the hand improved motor performance in young adults. Differences in luminance contrast levels in past studies and the current one suggest that control over this feature of the visual scene is an important design consideration for all end-users and warrants additional investigation. Additional recommendations for age-specific design of three dimensional user interfaces include usage of tangibles that are sufficient in size to limit detrimental effects for older adults.