cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inquiry and Analysis: Dewey and Russell on Philosophy

In an environment characterized by the emergence of new and diverse (and often opposed) philosophical efforts, there is a need for a conception of philosophy that will promote the exchange and critical consideration of divergent insights. Depending upon the operative conception, philosophical efforts can be viewed as significant, insightful and instructive, or unimportant, misguided and not “real” philosophy. This paper develops John Dewey's conception of philosophy as a mode of inquiry in contrast with Bertrand Russell's conception of philosophy as a mode of analysis. I argue that while Russell's analytic conception of philosophy justifies the dismissal of non-analytic philosophies, Dewey's conception of philosophy provides a theoretical framework for the comparison, evaluation and interaction of alternatives.
Texture-Consistent Shadow Removal

This paper presents an approach to shadow removal that preserves texture consistency between the original shadow and lit area. Illumination reduction in the shadow area not only darkens that area, but also changes the texture characteristics there. We achieve texture-consistent shadow removal by constructing a shadow-free and texture-consistent gradient field. First, we estimate an illumination change surface which causes the shadow and remove the gradients it induces. We approximate the illumination change surface with illumination change splines across the shadow boundary. We formulate estimating these splines as an optimization problem which balances the smoothness between the neighboring splines and their fitness to the image data. Second, we sample the shadow effect on the texture characteristics in the umbra and lit area near the shadow boundary, and remove it by transforming the gradients inside the shadow area to be compatible with the lit area. Experiments on photos from Flickr demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
Effects of aging and walnut-rich diet on DNA methylation and expression of immediate-early genes in critical brain regions.

Emerging evidence indicates a direct link between age-associated changes in epigenetic mechanisms and onset of neurodegenerative diseases, and that these genomic modulations are directly affected b...
Noise cancellation in time and frequency domain using neural networks

Artificial neural networks can be used effectively to filter out noise from frequency shift keying (FSK) and phase shift keying (PSK) modulation signals corrupted with random noise. In the present paper, the time and frequency domain filtering schemes are investigated. The number of data points are optimized using a method described as selective truncation. In order to evaluate the performance of both the time and frequency domain filters, a series of tests is conducted using test signals. The training network parameters are optimized in order to speed up convergence. >
UDPgalactose inhibits blastocyst formation in the mouse. Implications for the mode of action of T/t-complex mutations.

Abstract The effect of UDPgalactose on normal mouse blastocyst formation has been examined. In the presence of 10 mM UDP galactose, only 37% of the morulae differentiated into blastocysts, while 92% formed blastocysts in the absence of UDPgalactose. Identical concentrations of galactose and UDPglucose were ineffective in disturbing morulae development. The presence of anti-F9 antiserum (1/11 final dilution) protected approximately 76% of the morulae from the effects of UDPgalactose. The same anti-F9 antiserum offered no protective value when all of its anti-F9 activity was removed by prior absorption with F9 cells. These results suggest that the function of the F9 antigen, crucial for blastocyst formation, may be integrated with galactosyltransferase activity.
Emissions of N2O, CH4 and CO2 from tropical forest soils

Emissions of nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide were measured at diverse locations in tropical forests of Brazil, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico using a static open chamber technique. Mean fluxes to the atmosphere were 1.7 x 10 to the 10th, -0.7 x 10 to the 10th, and 1.5 x 10 to the 14th molecules/sq cm per s for N2O, CH4, and CO2, respectively. The data indicate that tropical forests contribute a significant fraction of the global source for atmospheric N2O, about 40 percent of the current source, and possibly 75 percent of the preindustrial source. Methane is consumed by soils on average, but the sink is an insignificant part (less than 5 percent) of the atmospheric cycle for the gas. Emissions of CO2 from forest soils are higher at equatorial sites than at middle or high latitudes, as expected from ecological considerations. Soils emit CO2 at rates more than twice as large as the rate of carbon infall in litter; hence much of the emitted CO2 must arise from root metabolism.
An Outbreak of Healthcare-Associated Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Senftenberg

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In July 1999, a rare multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Senftenberg was isolated from the sputum of a trauma patient. Over a 5-year period, this Salmonella species spread to 54 other patients in several healthcare facilities in Jacksonville, Florida due to frequent transfers of patients among institutions and breakdown of infection control practices. Salmonella Senftenberg isolates were reported between July 1999 and March 2004 from five of the seven hospitals, and eleven long-term care facilities among the approximately fifty in the metropolitan area. This is the first known outbreak of a nosocomial fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella Senftenberg in the United States. This descriptive epidemiological analysis will encapsulate the current information known about Salmonella senftenberg infected patients including antibiotic resistance, control/prevention, surveillance, and education. This is the first known outbreak of a nosocomial fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella Senftenberg in the United States. METHODS: A medical record abstraction form was developed and data collected on each case included demographics, laboratory information, medical history at diagnosis, and risk factors for a nosocomial infection. The Florida State Laboratory in Jacksonville confirmed the presence of Salmonella senftenberg in isolates by serogrouping and serotyping isolates. DNA fingerprinting or pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to determine if the cases were infected with the same strain. RESULTS: The affected patients were mostly elderly persons with multiple medical conditions. They were frequently transferred between healthcare facilities. This Salmonella species was found capable of long-term colonization of chronically ill patients. All S . Senftenberg isolates tested to date share a similar pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern with minor differences. CONCLUSIONS: A prolonged outbreak of multidrug-resistant S. Senftenberg has been identified in several healthcare facilities throughout the Jacksonville area. The bacterial agent was capable of long-term colonization in chronically ill patients. The outbreak continued in hospitals and long term care facilities despite patients being placed in contact precautions. Since the dispersal pattern of this strain suggested a breakdown of infection control practices, a multi-pronged intervention approach was undertaken that included intense education of personnel in the different institutions, inter-institution cooperation, and transfer paperwork notification.
Influence of helium-generated interstitials in dual ion irradiations

Abstract Simulation of neutron-induced swelling by dual ion irradiation is influenced very strongly by the presence of injected interstitials due to self ions. Co-injected helium also generates extra interstitials, with its influence on void nucleation magnified by a synergism with those due to self ions. Low energy experiments are particularly affected since measurements have to be made where most ions come to rest. When the high helium/dpa ratios typical of fusion devices are employed the effect of helium-generated interstitials may dominate that of helium-as-gas. Co-injected helium therefore often appears to decrease swelling at a given damage level. The suppression of void nucleation by helium-generated interstitials decreases with increasing sink strength and is dominant at both low temperatures when recombination is high and at high temperatures when vacancy re-emission from vacancy clusters is significant. It is proposed that this behavior is an artifact of the simulation process and is atypical of the fusion reactor environment.
Cumulative effects of restoration efforts on ecological characteristics of an open water area within the Upper Mississippi River

Ecological restoration efforts in large rivers generally aim to ameliorate ecological effects associated with large-scale modification of those rivers. This study examined whether the effects of restoration efforts—specifically those of island construction—within a largely open water restoration area of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) might be seen at the spatial scale of that 3476 ha area. The cumulative effects of island construction, when observed over multiple years, were postulated to have made the restoration area increasingly similar to a positive reference area (a proximate area comprising contiguous backwater areas) and increasingly different from two negative reference areas. The negative reference areas represented the Mississippi River main channel in an area proximate to the restoration area and an open water area in a related Mississippi River reach that has seen relatively little restoration effort. Inferences on the effects of restoration were made by comparing constrained and unconstrained models of summer chlorophyll a (CHL), summer inorganic suspended solids (ISS) and counts of benthic mayfly larvae. Constrained models forced trends in means or in both means and sampling variances to become, over time, increasingly similar to those in the positive reference area and increasingly dissimilar to those in the negative reference areas. Trends were estimated over 12- (mayflies) or 14-year sampling periods, and were evaluated using model information criteria. Based on these methods, restoration effects were observed for CHL and mayflies while evidence in favour of restoration effects on ISS was equivocal. These findings suggest that the cumulative effects of island building at relatively large spatial scales within large rivers may be estimated using data from large-scale surveillance monitoring programs. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Total laparorobotic repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm with sac exclusion obliteration and aortobifemoral bypass.

A 65-year-old man with coronary artery disease, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease was found to have an asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) of 5.5 cm on surveillance for his peripheral vascular disease. Cardiac stress testing demonstrated no evidence of myocardial ischemia, and he opted to undergo open repair of his aneurysm. Laparorobotic repair of the infrarenal AAA using the da Vinci™ robotic system was performed with an aortobifemoral bypass. We describe a novel technique for AAA exclusion using a cerclage method, which greatly facilitates repair of infrarenal AAAs using laparorobotic techniques. Laparorobotic repair of infrarenal AAA can be greatly facilitated by AAA sac exclusion and obliteration without the need to ligate all lumbar arteries or to open the aneurysm. This virtually avoids blood loss from the sac and minimizes the possibility for open conversion as a result of poor visualization. Minimally invasive aortic intervention for aneurysmal disease using laparascopic methods has been reported in the literature. Problems associated with this technique include a prolonged learning curve and difficulty completing intracorporeal anastomoses. Robotic surgery provides an advantage over laparoscopic surgery in its ability to provide greater degrees of freedom in a relatively small field of view along with superior high-definition, three-dimensional visualization. To date, there have been no known reports of using robotic surgery in the United States as a sole method for repair of AAA. We report our technique of combining robotic surgery with a novel procedure for sac exclusion and obliteration to successfully repair AAA without the need for opening the aneurysm sac and endoaneurysmorrhaphy.
The fleeting gleam of praise: cognitive processes underlying behavioral reactions to self-relevant feedback.

We propose that a preference for favorable social feedback (i.e., self-enhancement) requires only that feedback be characterized as favorable or unfavorable but that a preference for self-confirming feedback (i.e., self-verification) is based on a more elaborate set of cognitive operations that requires both the characterization of feedback and a subsequent comparison of that feedback to a representation of self stored in memory. Study 1 set the stage for testing this hypothesis by showing that depriving people of processing resources interfered with their tendency to access their self-conceptions. In Studies 2 and 3, participants who were deprived of resources preferred the favorable, self-enhancing evaluator, whereas control participants displayed a preference for the self-verifying evaluator, even if that evaluator was relatively unfavorable.
A new comparative method for the determination of activation energies

The thermal radiation emitted by the surface of a rapid flow reactor is used as a reference standard in a new comparative method for determining chemical activation energies. The surface temperature, its thermal radiation, and the products formed in a reactive gas flowing through the reactor are all modulated by the periodic on—off switching of a CO2 laser that heats the reactor surface to incandescence. The activation energy may then be obtained from the energy of the thermal photons selected for observation and a comparison of the temperature dependence of the rate of product formation with that of the spectral radiance of the reactor surface at the chosen wavelength.
The Genetic and Molecular Basis for Sunscreen Biosynthesis in Cyanobacteria

Ultraviolet UV-A and UV-B radiation is harmful to living systems, causing damage to biological macromolecules. An important strategy for dealing with UV exposure is the biosynthesis of small-molecule sunscreens. Among such metabolites, the mycosporine and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are remarkable for their wide phylogenetic distribution and their unique chemical structures. Here, we report the identification of a MAA biosynthetic gene cluster in a cyanobacterium and the discovery of analogous pathways in other sequenced organisms. We have expressed the cluster in a heterologous bacterial host and characterized all four biosynthetic enzymes in vitro. In addition to clarifying the origin of the MAAs, these efforts have revealed two unprecedented enzymatic strategies for imine formation.
Interaction between classical and quantum systems: A new approach to quantum measurement.I

We introduce an unconventional approach to the measurement problem in quantum mechanics: we treat the apparatus as a classical system belonging to the macroworld. To describe the quantum measurement process we must couple the classical apparatus to the quantum system. In this paper we explain how this is to be done: we embed the classical apparatus into a larger quantum-mechanical structure, making use of a superselection principle. The apparatus can now be coupled to the quantum system in a straightforward manner. We discuss what constraints should be placed on the coupling so that an interpretation of the interaction as a measurement results. We require that unambiguous information of the values of a quantum observable should be transferred to the variables of the apparatus. We also require that the apparatus should retain its classical identity. This latter requirement is formulated as a principle of integrity, in both weak and strong forms.
Roton immiscibility in a two-component dipolar Bose gas

We characterize the immiscibility-miscibility transition (IMT) of a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with dipole-dipole interactions. In particular, we consider the quasi-two dimensional geometry, where a strong trapping potential admits only zero-point motion in the trap direction, while the atoms are more free to move in the transverse directions. We employ the Bogoliubov treatment of the two-component system to identify both the well-known long-wavelength IMT in addition to a roton-like IMT, where the transition occurs at finite-wave number and is reminiscent of the roton softening in the single component dipolar BEC. Additionally, we verify the existence of the roton IMT in the fully trapped, finite systems by direct numerical simulation of the two-component coupled non-local Gross-Pitaevskii equations.
Asymmetry of Lineages and the Direction of Evolutionary Time

Evolutionary time has a characteristic direction as demonstrated by the asymmetry of clade diversity diagrams in large statistical samples. Evolutionary groups generally concentrate diversity during their early histories, producing a preponderance of bottom-heavy clades among those that arise early in the history of a larger group. This pattern holds across taxonomic levels and across differences in anatomy and ecology (marine invertebrates, terrestrial mammals). The quantitative study of directionality in life's history (replacing vague, untestable, and culturally laden notions of "progress") should receive more attention from paleobiologists.
Pharmacokinetics of Oxytetracycline in Nile Tilapia Oreodromis niloticus Challenged with Streptococcus iniae and Vibrio vulnificus

Tissue depletion studies of antibacterials are an important part of data packages required to obtain a label from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States for use of therapeutants in food fishes. Currently, withdrawal tima are set based on results of such studies obtained from healthy animals. Bacterial infection can lead to dramatic physiological changes in affected fish. In this investigation, the impact of bacterial infection on depletion kinetics of oxytetracycline (OTC) was examined in tilapia Oreochromis niloticus challenged with Streptococcus iniae (a model Gram positive bacterium) or Vibrio vulnificus (a model Gram negative bacterium). An additional group of fish injected with Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth was included as a non-infectious stimulus. Although some differences in elimination kinetics of OTC were observed between treated fish and non-treated controls, OTC was rapidly eliminated from tilapia in all groups. In all cases, mean concentration of OTC was below the current 2.0 ppm (μg/g) FDA tolerance for OTC in the edible portion (muscle plus skin) after day 3 postdosing.
The Fante and the Transatlantic slave trade

The Fante and the Transatlantic slave trade, by Rebecca Shumway, Rochester, University of Rochester Press, 2011, xii pp., 232 pp., US$85.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-58046-391-1http://dx.doi.org/10.10...
A Graphical Modeling Environment for Configuring Modular Product Families and Platforms

A significant amount of research has established that product platform planning is effective for the development of multiple products and management strategy for companies in today’s market. However, there are still significant challenges in planning and the realization of product families and platforms. This is particularly true for determining family and platform architectures—imperative assets in companies in order to pursue competitive advantages. It is a challenging task because individual customization of products generally competes with the goal of maximizing platform commonality. To address this challenge, this paper introduces a graphical computer-based modeling environment to support product design teams in configuring modular product families. In the modeling environment, a product family can be decomposed into its products, modules, and functions. Also, interfaces among the product components can be elaborated by defining the relationship types (fundamental, redundant, and operational). Further elaboration can be achieved by defining an appropriate set of module drivers from four different perspectives: financial, customer, design processes, and organizational culture/IT. These features facilitate modeling of a product family at multiple levels of abstraction as capturing design drivers, reasoning and goals. The application of the modeling environment is illustrated with a family of coffee-makers. It is demonstrated how the proposed modeling method offers a comprehensive representation and understanding of product family planning by integrating multiple perspectives on modular architecting. Moreover, a matrix-based analysis option is provided for design teams to view the relationships between the technical functions and the forms, and the design goals and the customer requirements in a preliminary manner.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The importance of surfaces in single-molecule bioscience

The last ten years have witnessed an explosion of new techniques that can be used to probe the dynamic behavior of individual biological molecules, leading to discoveries that would not have been possible with more traditional biochemical methods. A common feature among these single-molecule approaches is the need for the biological molecules to be anchored to a solid support surface. This must be done under conditions that minimize nonspecific adsorption without compromising the biological integrity of the sample. In this review we highlight why surface attachments are a critical aspect of many single-molecule studies and we discuss current methods for anchoring biomolecules. Finally, we provide a detailed description of a new method developed by our laboratory for anchoring and organizing hundreds of individual DNA molecules on a surface, allowing “high-throughput” studies of protein–DNA interactions at the single-molecule level.
Electrical study of Schottky barriers on atomically clean GaAs(110) surfaces.

We report here a systematic study of the electrical properties of a large number of metal/n-type GaAs (Cr, Mn, Sn, Ni, Al, Pd, Cu, Ag, Au) diodes. Diodes were fabricated on cleaved GaAs(110) surfaces under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions with in situ metal deposition. Using current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measuring techniques, we were able to obtain very reliable and consistent determinations of the barrier height ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{b}$ and ideality factor n. All of the metal-semiconductor systems formed on lightly doped (5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{16}$/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$) n-type GaAs substrates were characterized by near-unity (1.05) ideality factors. A decrease in the effective I-V barrier height, an increase in the ideality factor in forward bias and a strong voltage dependence on the thermionic emission currents in reverse bias were found for diodes formed on the more heavily doped samples.These changes are essentially metal independent, but depend strongly on the doping of the substrate. The characterization (and elimination in some cases) of peripheral leakage currents from the thermionic emission current is found to be essential in obtaining consistent results in our work and in reinterpreting some of the prior work in the literature. The dominant leakage current flows through a small area, low barrier at the periphery of the device and can be eliminated by mesa etching. The consistent and reproducible barrier-height determinations reported in this study, when combined with the results of recent surface-sensitive studies, are a particularly critical test of models of Schottky-barrier formation.The barrier heights measured from the electrical characteristics of thick-metal-film diodes were found to be essentially identical to those reported during the initial stages (submonolayer to several monolayers of metal) of Schottky-barrier formation by photoemission spectroscopy. This agreement indicates that the physical mechanism responsible for Fermi-level pinning in the thick-metal Schottky diodes is first established at submonolayer to several-monolayer coverages of adatoms and an atomic scale model is therefore necessary to account for the available experimental data. No strong correlation between the barrier heights and the work function of the metal or chemistry at the interface was found. Also, diodes formed on clean GaAs(110) surfaces were found to have essentially identical barrier heights to those formed on clean GaAs(100) surfaces and on contaminated (i.e., chemically prepared) GaAs(100) and GaAs(110) surfaces. Several currently popular models concerned with the physical mechanism responsible for the formation of the Schottky barrier are discussed, and the unified defect model is found to be most consistent with the experimental data.
Chronotropic Response of an Activity Detecting Pacemaker Compared with the Normal Sinus Node

We compared the rate responsiveness of an activity-detecting multiprogrammable, single chamber pacemaker (Medtronic Activitrax) to rate responsiveness of the normal sinus node. This pacemaker changes its basic pacing rate in response to physical activity. The rate responsiveness is programmable by selecting one of three activity thresholds, and one of 10 rate response settings. The study included a group of six normal volunteers and 12 patients implanted with Activitrax to examine the similarity of the pacemaker rate to normal sinus rhythm during acceleration and deceleration. The pacemaker was set to Activity mode, at a basic rate of 60 bpm. In volunteers, the device was externally secured on the chest wall and tested at two programmed settings. When programmed at a high threshold of activity and high rate response in volunteers, there was no significant difference in maximum normal sinus rates and pacemaker rates during arm waving, jumping in place, and walking during stress testing. At a medium activity threshold, the only significant difference occurred during submaximal stress testing, when the maximum sinus rate achieved was 141 +/- 19 bpm and the maximum pacing rate was 105 +/- 8 bpm (p less than .02). The pacemaker behaved in a similar manner in patients, successfully simulating the typical fast acceleration and slow deceleration of a normal sinus node in exercise testing. There was no difference in pacer response when implanted in abdominal or infraclavicular locations. The implanted units have functioned normally over a follow-up period of nine to 22 months. Activitrax can be programmed to achieve physiologic pacing rates in response to normal daily activities with appropriate programming.
Toxin-induced cardiovascular emergencies in the pediatric patient

Abstract Common manifestations of cardiovascular toxicity in the pediatric patient include hypertension, hypertension, bradyarrhythmia, and tachyarrhythmia. The causes and mechanisms of toxin-induced abnormalities of blood pressure and rhythm are reviewed along with appropriate management. Tricyclic antidepressants, calcium-channel blockers, β-blockers, and digoxin may cause severe toxicity, often refractory to standard management. The use of specific cardiac antidotes, such as calcium salts, digoxin-specific antibodies, magnesium, and sodium bicarbonate are discussed.
Ureteral obstruction decreases renal prepro-epidermal growth factor and Tamm-Horsfall expression.

Ureteral obstruction decreases renal prepro-EGF and Tamm-Horsfall expression. Northern and dot-blot analysis of polyadenylated RNAs of kidney cortical and outer medullary tissue was performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats at varying times up to 24 hours after bilateral ureteral obstruction (BUO), after 24 hours of unilateral obstruction (UUO) and at varying periods after release of BUO or UUO. PreproEGF (preproEGF) and Tamm-Horsfall (TH) mRNA declined by four hours of BUO to virtually undetectable levels at 24 hours of ureteral obstruction. Upon release of BUO or UUO, preproEGF and TH mRNA returned slowly toward normal but remained below control levels up to four days after release of ureteral obstruction. Urinary EGF excretion paralleled these changes in renal preproEGF mRNA. Although these changes are similar to those observed during nephrotoxic and ischemic renal failure, where the expression of the immediate early genes precedes the fall in preproEGF and TH expression, no such increase in the expression of these genes occurred after bilateral ureteral obstruction. These changes in preproEGF and TH expression could also be dissociated from uremia and high rates of DNA synthesis, suggesting that ureteral obstruction itself is a sufficient cause of the reduced expression. The increase in ureteral pressure and its functional and humoral effects may each play a role in reduced preproEGF and TH expression during ureteral obstruction.
Radical Entry in Emulsion Polymerization: Estimation of the Critical Length of Entry Radicals via a Simple Lattice Model

A lattice model has been utilized to calculate the free energy change upon oligomeric radical (derived from persulfate initiators) adsorption onto a latex particle dispersed in an aqueous phase. Variations in this free energy change with oligomer chain length allow one to predict the so-called Z-mer length at which adsorption is spontaneous. Z-mer lengths for commonly used homopolymers range from 1 to 8 (for 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and methyl acrylate, respectively). The lengths predicted for styrene and methyl methacrylate are 2 and 4 and are the same as those reported from experiments. The model is straightforwardly extended to copolymers. Here the overall composition of the oligomeric copolymer radical has a significant effect upon the Z-mer length, while the sequence distribution of the monomer units in the chain has a limited effect. Model predictions for the acrylic acid-styrene system are in reasonable agreement with reported experimental results over a range of comonomer compositions.
Bacteriophage ϵ15 is released intact from the surface of its host cell, Salmonella anatum, at acidic pH

Abstract Bacteriophage ϵ 15 adsorbs reversibly to its host cell, Salmonella anatum , at pH 5, as can be shown by the recovery of both phage and bacteria in their viable forms. Reaction conditions that facilitate the depletion of the host cell O -polysaccharide by the enzymatically active tail parts of ϵ 15 particles, including elevated reaction temperature, increased ratio of phage to cells, and decreased host cell O -polysaccharide content, all decrease the retention time of the phage particles on the cell surface.
Radiation protection — On the road to professional maturity?☆

In the twenith century U.S. radiation protection standards have become much more restrictive and dose limits have been reduced from hundreds of millisieverts/y to less than tenths of a mSv/y. The question discussed in this commentary is whether the above constitutes a sign of approaching professional maturity or continuous immaturity. The author concludes that radiation protection lacks discipline both in applying the best of science by limiting speculation and in achieving stability in its regulatory policy decisions. 6 refs., 3 tabs.
An improved model and algorithm correction for spotting

An improved model was provided to spot the points of bombs/shells. Taking into account of speed of wind, clock of preprocessor and environmental temperature, spotting algorithm was corrected. Experiment on the spot shows that the improved model and corrected algorithm are more precise in spotting as well as more convenient to distribution of sensors. It has great theoretical and practical value in military drill.
Scalable solar image Retrieval with Lucene

In this work we present an alternative approach for large-scale retrieval of solar images using the highly-scalable retrieval engine Lucene. While Lucene is widely popular among text- based search engines, significant adjustments need to be made to take advantage of its fast indexing mechanism and highly-scalable architecture to enable search on image repositories. In this work we describe a novel way of representing image feature vectors in order to enable Lucene to perform search and retrieval of similar images. We compare our proposed method with other popular alternatives and provide commentary of the performance as well as the benefits and caveats of the proposed method.
The comparative effects of sulfur dioxide on photosynthesis and translocation in bean

Abstract The inhibiting effects of sulfur dioxide on photosynthesis and the rate of carbohydrate translocation in mature bean leaves were examined. Reductions of 0, 13 and 73% in net photosynthesis and 39, 44 and 69% in translocation occurred at concentrations of 0·1, 1·0 and 3·0 p.p.m. sulfur dioxide, respectively. The inhibition of translocation at 0·1 p.p.m. sulfur dioxide without accompanying inhibition of net photosynthesis indicates that translocation is considerably more sensitive to sulfur dioxide damage. The mechanism of translocation inhibition at 1·0 p.p.m. sulfur dioxide or less was demonstrated to be independent of photosynthetic inhibition. It is suggested that at higher concentrations significant inhibition of photosynthesis causes an additional reduction of translocation due to reduced levels of transport sugars. Autoradiograms of 14 C-labeled source leaves indicate that one mechanism of sulfur dioxide damage to translocation is the inhibition of sieve-tube loading. Inhibition of phloem translocation at common ambient levels (0·1 p.p.m.) of sulfur dioxide is important to the overall growth and yield of sensitive agricultural crops.
Sediment flushing observations, earthquake slumping, and benthic community changes in Monterey Canyon head

Abstract A large area of axis sediment (>500 m 2 ) may be annually removed from the head of Monterey Submarine Canyon with the first onshore storm of the fall/winter storm season. In this scenario, flushing events are followed by accumulation of sediment and organic debris—especially macro-algae—in the shallow axis. Net accumulation of this fill material increases during the calmer spring and summer until the next fall-flushing. The benthic community at a canyon axis station was characterized by highly fluctuating populations of opportunistic polychaete worms and gammarid amphipods, primarily Capitella spp., Armandia brevis , and Orchomene pacifica . The canyon axis community was very different from communities living at two other stations where sudden flushing does not occur—an adjacent sloping-wall station and a sandflat station. Sloping-wall and sandflat stations harbored more and longer-lived species, larger individuals, and a less-variable population structure during a year of sampling. The Loma Prieta earthquake in the fall of 1989 triggered small sediment slumps on the canyon walls, but it did not trigger axis-flushing. The usual seasonal flushing of the axis occurred 2 weeks after the earthquake with the arrival of the first storm. Benthic communities were reduced in abundance inside earthquake-induced slumps; however, the slumped areas were rapidly colonized by Prionospio pygmaea , a polychaete opportunist common to the sandflat. Surprisingly, the physical and biological impacts of the earthquake were much less severe than the seasonal axis-flushing associated with storms. Observations of sediment-flushing combined with measurements of benthic community changes in Monterey Canyon head represent a step towards an ecological model of mass wasting with implications for the continental shelf and slope and possibly the deep sea. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
Measurement Properties of Psychosocial and Environmental Measures Associated with Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Middle School Adolescents

Abstract Objective To assess the measurement properties of several scales modified or created to assess factors related to fruit and vegetable intake within a young adolescent population. Design Cross-sectional with data collected via self-report. Setting Data were collected in regularly scheduled classes in the school setting. Participants African American and Caucasian middle school students (ages 11-15 years). Variables Measured Self-efficacy, modeling, outcome expectations, normative beliefs, parental food management practices, and influences on food choice. Analysis Pearson correlations, factor analysis, and Cronbach α. Results Subscales with adequate to good internal consistencies (0.65-0.88) were established. Fruit and vegetable intake was significantly correlated with self-efficacy, parent and peer modeling, family and peer normative beliefs, and social and health outcome expectations. Fruit and vegetable intake was not significantly correlated with permissive eating, food self-preparation, or the 3 subscales measuring influences on food choice (social influence, avoiding weight-gain food, and appeal and access). Conclusions and Implications These measures, most originally developed for children and adults and modified for this study, demonstrated adequate measurement properties for an adolescent sample.
Redox Regulation of Programmed Cell Death in Lymphocytes

A redox imbalance caused by an over-production of prooxidants or a decrease in antioxidants seems to play a role in the programmed cell death that occurs in various developmental programs. Such a physiological function for oxidative stress is particularly applicable to the immune system, wherein individual lymphocytes undergo continuous scrutiny to determine if they should be preserved or programmed to die. Following activation, lymphocytes produced increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which may serve as intracellular signaling molecules. The ultimate outcome of this increased ROS formation, i.e., lymphocyte proliferation versus programmed cell death, may be dictated by macrophage-derived costimulatory molecules that bolster or diminish lymphocyte antioxidant defenses. HIV-1-infected individuals display multiple symptoms of redox imbalance consistent with their being in oxidative stress, and lymphocytes from such individuals are more prone to undergo apoptosis in vitro. It is suggested that o...
Life of a Six-Hour Hurricane

Hurricane Claudette developed from a weak vortex in 6 h as deep convection shifted from downshear into the vortex center, despite ambient vertical wind shear exceeding 10 m s 1 . Six hours later it weakened to a tropical storm, and 12 h after the hurricane stage a circulation center could not be found at 850 hPa by aircraft reconnaissance. At hurricane strength the vortex contained classic structure seen in intensifying hurricanes, with the exception of 7°–12°C dewpoint depressions in the lower troposphere upshear of the center. These extended from the 100-km radius to immediately adjacent to the eyewall, where equivalent potential temperature gradients reached 6 K km 1 . The dry air was not present prior to intensification, suggesting that it was associated with vertical shear–induced subsidence upshear of the developing storm. It is argued that weakening of the vortex was driven by cooling associated with the mixing of dry air into the core, and subsequent evaporation and cold downdrafts. Evidence suggests that this mixing might have been enhanced by eyewall instabilities after the period of rapid deepening. The existence of a fragile, small, but genuinely hurricane-strength vortex at the surface for 6 h presents difficult problems for forecasters. Such a “temporary hurricane” in strongly sheared flow might require a different warning protocol than longer-lasting hurricane vortices in weaker shear.
Institutional development in the era of economic policy reform: Concerns, contradictions and illustrations from Malawi

The article argues that the essence of economic policy reform programmes—both their substance and their pace—runs counter to the central notions of sound institutional development. Attention is first given to some fundamental concerns about the relationship between the two processes, in particular focusing on questions of culture, speed of change and the political environment. The article then provides some illustrations from Malawi, looking in turn at collateral institutional damage, the new generation of semiautonomous organizations, confusing incentives systems in the areas of salaries, housing and training, and lack of serious concern for the sustainability of the reforms. The conclusion calls for returning ‘part-ownership’ of the reform programme to the local officials, and trying to reduce some of the institutional unreality, which seems to adhere to the implementation of the reforms.
28S Ribosomal RNA Sequences Separate Five Prominent Lygus (Hemiptera: Miridae) Pest Species Into Three Species Clusters

ABSTRACT A segment of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene was compared among six species of Lygus [Lygus hesperus (Knight), Lygus keltoni (Schwartz), Lygus borealis (Kelton), Lygus elisus (Van Duzee), Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), and Lygus vanduzeei (Knight)]. The DNA sequences were separate into three main groups. The LL group contains L. lineolaris and L. vanduzeei. Group LBLE is composed of L. elisus and most of L. borealis. Group LH includes L. hesperus and most of L. keltoni. Some L. keltoni were part of the LBLE group and some L. borealis were part of the LH group. The 28S region does not contain sufficient genetic polymorphism to delineate species. The apparent polyphyly of L. borealis and L. keltoni could reflect historic interbreeding, recent development of a hybrid swarm, or highlight inadequacies of morphospecies identification.
Late Results of the Mustard Procedure in Transposition of the Great Arteries

Abstract Thirty-five patients were discharged from the hospital after a Mustard procedure and have been followed a mean of 4.5 years. Thirty remain in a stable atrial or sinus rhythm, 3 have required hospitalization and medication to control atrial dysrhythmias, 1 is in a junctional rhythm, and 1 requires a pacemaker. In no patient has there been clinical evidence of systemic or pulmonary venous baffle obstruction. Twenty-two patients have had an elective postoperative cardiac catheterization, which has confirmed the absence of baffle obstruction. We attribute the lack of baffle obstruction and the low incidence of atrial dysrhythmias to several technical points in the operation including: (1) direct high cannulation of the superior vena cava, (2) aggressive resection of the atrial septum except in the region of the atrioventricular node, (3) an extremely large pericardial baffle trimmed in the manner of Brom, (4) sharp divergence of the upper and lower limbs of the inferior suture line away from one another and toward the caval orifices once they enter the right atrium, and (5) very superficial endocardial bites of the baffle suture line in the region of the sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes.
The presence of a histidine residue at or near the NADPH binding site of enoyl reductase domain on the multifunctional fatty acid synthetase of chicken liver

Abstract Chemical modification of chicken liver fatty acid synthetase with the reagent ethoxyformic anhydride causes inactivation of the palmitate synthetase and enoyl reductase activities of the enzyme complex, but without significant effect on its β-ketoacyl reductase or β-ketoacyl dehydratase activity. The second-order rate constant of 0.2 mM−1·s−1 for loss of synthetase activity is equal to the value for enyol reductase, indicating that ethoxyformylation destroys, the ability of the enzyme to reduce the unsaturated acyl intermediate. The specificity of this reagent for histidine residues is indicated by the appearance of a 240 nm absorption band for ethoxyformic histidine corresponding to the modification of 2.1 residues per enzyme dimer, and by the observation that the modified enzyme is readily reactivated by hydroxylamine. A p K value of 7.1 obtained by studies of the pH rate-profile of inactivation is consistent with that of histidine. Moreover, inactivation by ethoxyformic anhydride is unaffected by reversely blocking essential SH groups of the enzyme with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), and therefore does not involve the reaction of these groups. The reaction of tyrosyl groups is excluded by an unchanged absorption at 278 nm. In other experiments, it was shown that inactivation of synthetase is protected by pyridine nucleotide cofactors and nucleotide analogs containing a 2′-phosphate group, and is accompanied by the loss of 2.4 NADPH binding sites. These results implicate the presence of a histidine residue at or near the binding site for 2′-phosphate group of pyridine nucleotide in the enoyl reductase domain of the synthetase.
Fencing to Control Livestock Grazing on Riparian Habitats along Streams: Is It a Viable Alternative?

Abstract Fisheries biologists are attempting to improve fish habitats in many areas of the West by fencing riparian areas along streams to exclude livestock grazing. The fencing cost often exceeds the gains in fishery values. Few alternatives to fencing, such as no grazing, have proven to be sociologically and economically acceptable; therefore, if both uses are to occur simultaneously some streams may need to be fenced. Fencing (two 100-foot corridors) costs about $6,000 per stream mile, with $60-200 maintenance costs per stream mile per year, and about 12 animal-unit months lost per stream mile fenced. An increase of 47 fisherman days per mile per year would be required to balance the cost of fencing if the fisheries were the only factor considered in an economic evaluation.
Paget's disease of bone with characteristic changes in the mandible and selective sparing of the maxilla

Abstract The characteristic bony lesions in Paget's disease are caused by a process of destruction and repair occurring as a localized progressive disorder. In the case reported here, there was widespread skeletal involvement together with characteristic changes in the mandible and selective sparing of the maxilla.