cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Heterochrony Still an Effective Paradigm for Contemporary Studies of Evo-devo?

Heterochrony, or change in the relative timing of developmental events, has been a dominant concept in the study of the relation between evolution and development since even before the term was coined in the mid-nineteenth century. Its popularity exploded beginning in the late 1970s and 1980s as part of the resurgence of interest in Evo-devo that also began at that time, and reflecting a basic premise that heterochronic analysis is indispensible to a meaningful understanding and explanation of morphological diversification. Yet the gradual recognition that the molecular and developmental mechanisms that underlie morphological evolution may be understood more effectively in terms of other processes has increasingly qualified the universality of heterochrony as an explanatory tool. Consequently, while heterochrony still has an important role to play in contemporary studies of Evo-devo, it is not an all-encompassing and exclusive role. Instead, a more nuanced view of heterochrony—as an important paradigm, but not the sole paradigm—provides a more comprehensive depiction and understanding of the developmental basis of evolutionary change.
Phenotypic characterization of Class III patients.

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study is to characterize the convergences of dentofacial form of skeletal Class III malocclusion in individuals to test the fundamental hypothesis that there are distinct subtypes of Class III malocclusion. Materials and Methods: A detailed phenotypic characterization was performed on a retrospective cohort of 309 subjects using cluster and principal component analyses on 67 cephalometric variables. Results: The results indicated that there are five clusters representing distinct subphenotypes. The principal component analysis suggested that the groupings of variables reflect anteroposterior and vertical dimensions rather than specific craniofacial structures. This may ultimately suggest that different genes are involved in controlling dimension vs structures. Conclusions: Our phenotypic dissection of Class III malocclusion established distinct subtypes in a large sample of patients and will ultimately provide the basis for future familial studies to identify a ca...
Smoking and Other Risk Factors in Individuals With Synchronous Conventional High-Risk Adenomas and Clinically Significant Serrated Polyps.

Serrated polyps (SPs) and conventional high-risk adenomas (HRAs) derive from two distinct biological pathways but can also occur synchronously. Adults with synchronous SPs and adenomas have been shown to be a high-risk group and may have a unique risk factor profile that differs from adults with conventional HRAs alone. We used the population-based New Hampshire Colonoscopy Registry (NHCR) to examine the risk profile of individuals with synchronous conventional HRAs and SPs. Our study population included 20,281 first time screening colonoscopies from asymptomatic NHCR participants 40 years or older between 2004–15. Exams were categorized by findings: (1) normal, (2) HRA only (adenomas ≥ 1 cm, villous, high grade dysplasia, multiple adenomas ( > 2) and adenocarcinoma), (3) clinically significant SP (CSSP) only (any hyperplastic polyp ≥ 1 cm, sessile serrated adenomas/polyps or traditional serrated adenomas), and (4) synchronous HRA + CSSP. Risk factors examined included exposure of interest, smoking (never, past, and current/pack years), as well as age, sex, alcohol, education, and family history of colorectal cancer (CRC). Multivariable unconditional logistic regression tested the relation of risk factors with having synchronous HRA + CSSP versus having a normal exam or HRA alone. Among NHCR participants with 18,354 screening colonoscopies (with complete smoking, sex, bowel preparation data, and adequate preparation) there were 16,495 normal; 1309 HRA alone; 461 CSSP alone, and 89 synchronous HRA + CSSP. Current smoking was associated with an almost threefold increased risk for HRA or CSSP, and an eightfold risk for synchronous HRA + CSSP (aOR = 8.66; 95% CI: 4.73–15.86) compared to normal exams. Adults with synchronous HRA + CSSP were threefold more likely to be current smokers than those with HRA alone (aOR = 3.27; 95% CI:1.74–6.16). Our data suggest that current smokers may be at a higher risk for synchronous CSSP + HRA even when compared to having HRA alone.
Through Scarcity to Prosperity: A Theory of the Transition to Sustainable Growth

This paper integrates fertility choice and exhaustible resource dynamics in a tractable model of endogenous technological change. The analysis shows that, under the right conditions, the interdependence of population, resources and technology produces a transition from unsustainable resource-based growth to sustainable knowledge-based growth that consists of three phases: (1) an initial phase where agents build up the economy by exploiting exhaustible natural resources to support population growth; (2) an intermediate phase where agents turn on the Schumpeterian engine of endogenous innovation in response to population-led market expansion; (3) a terminal phase where growth becomes fully driven by knowledge accumulation and no longer requires growth of physical inputs. The last phase is crucial: not only economic growth no longer requires growth of physical inputs, but technological change also compensates for the exhaustion of the natural resource stock.
Families of Varieties of General Type: the Shafarevich Conjecture and Related Problems

Consider the curves on the (x, y)-plane parametrized by A and given by the equation, \({y^2} = {\rm{ }}{{\rm{x}}^{\rm{5}}} - {\rm{5}}\lambda {\rm{x }} + {\rm{ 4}}\lambda .\)
Trajectory optimization on manifolds with applications to quadrotor systems

Manifolds are used in almost all robotics applications even if they are not modeled explicitly. We propose a differential geometric approach for optimizing trajectories on a Riemannian manifold wit...
A magnetic resonance approach to metabolic disorders in childhood.

Introduction Inborn errors of metabolism are a difficult group of disorders to diagnose. Clinical signs and symptoms overlap among the different diseases, biochemical tests are often nonspecific or unrevealing, and genetic analyses are time consuming, expensive, and often not commercially available. Imaging can aid in diagnosing some disorders, but the imaging findings of many disorders seem to overlap, particularly as more and more disorders are identified and described. Development Several groups have proposed an imaging approach based upon pattern recognition on magnetic resonance imaging, supplemented by metabolic data from proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and microstructural data, as assessed by diffusion weighted imaging. Conclusion When properly used, this pattern recognition approach in conjunction with the other imaging tools can be very useful for separating the complex group of metabolic disorders into more manageable groups. Indeed, sometimes this approach allows a specific diagnosis to be made.
O-008 High-frequency optical coherence tomography for imaging neurovascular implants in tortuosity

Introduction Intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) has an established role in the diagnosis and image guided treatment of coronary artery disease. However, due to the profile and design of the catheter, these devices are not suitable for routine application in neurointerventional surgery. We aim to demonstrate that new generation high frequency OCT (HF-OCT) can image stents and flow diverters used to treat intracranial aneurysms with acceptable workflow deployed in neurointerventional surgery. Materials and methods An HF-OCT prototype was built (Gentuity, Sudbury MA) that is compatible with standard microcatheters (0.017’). An in vitro flow loop consisting of a patient-specific vascular replica and using porcine blood as a working fluid was deployed to test contrast infusion protocols necessary to remove blood from the target vascular section. Subsequently, eight pigs were implanted bilaterally with flow diverters and stents. The presence of acute platelet aggregation on the surface of the devices and malapposition of the device to the vessel wall was assessed by 3 raters reviewing digital subtraction angiography (DSA), high resolution cone beam CT (CBCT), and HF-OCT. Finally, using the tortuous porcine brachial artery, HF-OCT was performed, and image quality assessed. Results In the in vitro experiment, the optimized contrast infusion protocol was delivery of contrast through the intermediate catheter (0.058’ Navien, Medtronic Neurovascular, Irvine CA) delivering the HF-OCT device at a rate of 5 ml/s for 20–25 ml of contrast. This protocol resulted in complete clearing of highly attenuating erythrocytes for an optically clear field. In the pig study, the agreement by the reviewers (Fleiss kappa) regarding clot formation at 3 distinct locations along the flow diverter was 0.49, 0.67 and 0.90 for DSA, CBCT and HF-OCT, respectively. The agreement for diagnosing malapposition at these locations was 0.18, 0.67 and 0.87 for DSA, CBCT, and HF-OCT, respectively. In the porcine tortuosity model, in all cases, navigation and imaging was performed with uniform illumination and free from artifact. Conclusion An HF-OCT device has been built that is compatible with neurointerventional surgery workflow and cerebrovascular anatomy. Preclinical data demonstrate consistent improvement to diagnose acute platelet aggregation and malapposition of flow diverters as compared to existing imaging modalities (figure 1). Disclosures A. Puri: 1; C; NIH. M. Marosfoi: None. G. Ughi: 4; C; Gentuity. 5; C; Gentuity. R. King: None. E. Langan: None. J. Chueh: None. M. Gounis: 1; C; NIH.
Increasing pay transparency: A guide for change

Abstract The gender pay gap is an important issue today in the U.S. The lack of transparency surrounding pay in businesses is viewed as one cause of this gap. The first section of this article explores the origins of the gender pay gap and presents a brief history of pay transparency. Then, I propose a framework built from three continua that breaks the concept of pay transparency into types and levels. Using this framework, I offer guidance to organizations that want to increase pay transparency. The article concludes with a discussion of the risks associated with increased pay transparency and suggestions for future research.
Maximizing Social Welfare Subject to Network Externalities: A Unifying Submodular Optimization Approach.

We consider the problem of allocating multiple indivisible items to a set of networked agents to maximize the social welfare subject to network externalities. Here, the social welfare is given by the sum of agents' utilities and externalities capture the effect that one user of an item has on the item's value to others. We first provide a general formulation that captures some of the existing models as a special case. We then show that the social welfare maximization problem benefits some nice diminishing or increasing marginal return properties. That allows us to devise polynomial-time approximation algorithms using the Lovasz extension and multilinear extension of the objective functions. Our principled approach recovers or improves some of the existing algorithms and provides a simple and unifying framework for maximizing social welfare subject to network externalities.
Sufism and Politics

This chapter analyses the correlation between Muslim majority states ranked higher on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2017 and the activism of Sufi citizens. The higher ranked states have a substantial or significant Sufi presence while those ranked lowest discourage or officially restrict Sufism. This chapter resists arguing for an automatic correlation between Sufism and democracy. Sufis have supported and cooperated with authoritarian regimes including colonial rulers against whom they have also rebelled to protect their own interests. Nor is there a rigid boundary between Salafism and Sufism. The chapter tentatively suggests that Sufi political activism can help to nurture democracy given the presence of other factors such as an historical tolerance of minorities and relative lack of regional or ethnic rivalries. Given a global retreat from democracy, any resource that can be used to nurture, promote and protect democratic pluralism is worth serious consideration and scrutiny.
Aging dynamics in ferroelectric deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate

Anomalously large dielectric aging is found in the high-susceptibility plateau ferroelectric regime of nominally $\ensuremath{\sim}95%$ deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP). Much less aging is found in nondeuterated KDP throughout most of its plateau region. Optical images of the DKDP domain structure show no dramatic change during aging. Small changes in electric field restore the preaged susceptibility, but the previous aging almost recovers after returning to a respective aging field. Susceptibility vs field can show memory of at least two prior aging fields. Aging effects are not fully erased even by brief heating above the Curie point, indicating a role for diffusion of hydrogen to the domain walls, leaving changes in disorder that can survive temporary absence of domain walls. Asymmetrical nonlinear susceptibility develops for fields slightly above or below a prior aging field and during field sweeps, with the dependence of the second-harmonic magnitude on sweep rate giving a characteristic time comparable to the time for hydrogen to diffuse a domain-wall width.
Can Health State-Contingent Assets Enable Greater Survival Rates?

This study empirically evaluates the relationship between health state-contingent assets and their ability to facilitate greater survival rates. Using transaction-level data from the life settlement market in a quasi-experimental setting, this study finds that wealth in particularly poor states of health leads to a significant increase in survival rates. This relationship is stronger for people in fragile health and those living furthest from hospitals. Improved survival rates are independent from the severity of the disease diagnoses and the social-economic status of the policyholders. These findings provide novel evidence in support of financial solutions aimed at the rising cost of healthcare.
Regional differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food sufficiency in California, April-July 2020: implications for food programmes and policies.

Objective: To evaluate regional differences in factors associated with food insufficiency during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic among three major metropolitan regions in California, a state with historically low participation rates in the Supplementation Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation’s largest food assistance programme. Design: Analysis of cross-sectional data from phase 1 (23 April–21 July 2020) of the US Census Household Pulse Survey, a weekly national online survey. Setting: California, and three Californian metropolitan statistical areas (MSA), including San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim and Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario MSA. Participants: Adults aged 18 years and older living in households. Results: Among the three metropolitan areas, food insufficiency rates were lowest in the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley MSA. Measures of disadvantage (e.g., having low-income, being unemployed, recent loss of employment income and pre-pandemic food insufficiency) were widely associated with household food insufficiency. However, disadvantaged households in the San Francisco Bay Area, the area with the lowest poverty and unemployment rates, were more likely to be food insufficient compared with those in the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim and Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario MSA. Conclusions: Food insufficiency risk among disadvantaged households differed by region. To be effective, governmental response to food insufficiency must address the varied local circumstances that contribute to these disparities.
Standardizing postoperative care for pediatric intradural Chiari decompressions to decrease length of stay.

Objective Amid national and local budget crises, cutting costs while maintaining quality care is a top priority. Chiari malformation is a relatively common pediatric neurosurgical pathology, and postoperative care varies widely. The postoperative course can be complicated by pain and nausea, which can extend the hospital stay. In this study, the authors aimed to examine whether instituting a standardized postoperative care protocol would decrease overall patient hospital length of stay (LOS) as well as cost to families and the hospital system. Methods A retrospective study of pediatric patients who underwent an intradural Chiari decompression with expansile duraplasty at a single institution from January 2016 to September 2019 was performed. A standardized postoperative care protocol was instituted on May 17, 2018. Pre- and postprotocol groups were primarily analyzed for demographics, LOS, and the estimated financial expense of the hospital stay. Secondary analysis included readmissions, opioid consumption, and follow-up. Results The analysis included 132 pediatric patients who underwent an intradural Chiari decompression with expansile duraplasty. The preprotocol group included 97 patients and the postprotocol group included 35 patients. Patient age ranged from 0.5 to 26 years (mean 9.5 years). The mean LOS preprotocol was 55.48 hours (range 25.90-127.77 hours), and the mean postprotocol LOS was 46.39 hours (range 27.58-77.38 hours). The comparison between means showed a statistically significant decrease following protocol initiation (95% CI 1.87-16.31 hours, p = 0.014). In the preprotocol group, 21 of 97 patients (22%) were discharged the first day after surgery compared with 14 of 35 patients (40%) in the postprotocol group (p = 0.045). The estimated cost of one night on the pediatric neurosurgical intermediate ward was approximately $4500, which gives overall cost estimates for 100 theoretical cases of $927,800 for the preprotocol group and $732,900 for the postprotocol group. Conclusions By instituting a Chiari protocol, postoperative LOS was significantly decreased, which resulted in decreased healthcare costs while maintaining high-quality and safe care.
Potential Role for Human Colony-Stimulating Factors in the Treatment of Radiation Injuries

Hematopoiesis in humans appears to be controlled by a series of growth factors that are responsible for accelerating the proliferation and lineage-specific differentiation of committed progenitors. More than 10 factors acting at different and overlapping steps of hematopoietic differentiation have now been identified, molecularly cloned, expressed in vitro, and, in some cases, evaluated in primates and in the clinical setting. Because it has been shown clinically that growth factors can enhance hematopoietic reconstitution in patients with severe bone marrow injury, these factors have potential for treating radiation injury. This review explores the biological and biochemical as well as the clinical aspects of the colony-stimulating factors (CSF’s) currently in clinical use, particularly in relation to the treatment of nuclear accident injuries.
Treatment-based traffic classification for residential wireless networks

As broadband connection capacities increase, residential network users can experience performance degradation when multiple applications run concurrently over bottlenecked wireless access points (APs). This paper presents Classification and Treatment iN an AP (CATNAP), a plug-and-play solution, that automatically classifies and treats flows passing through an AP without any user intervention. Implemented in NS-2 and evaluated against DropTail and Strict Priority Queuing under various network and traffic conditions, CATNAP provides better QoS support for VoIP, games and streaming video applications.
Erosion Behavior of Hard Surface Coatings/Inserts

The wear resistance requirements of some of the components in the emerging energy systems necessitates the use of hard materials of the refractory hard metal family, i.e., carbides, nitrides, borides, silicides, to serve at the wear surface. They are used either as deposited coatings on structural metal surfaces or as separately fabricated inserts that are assembled into a structural metal retaining area. There has been considerable study of the wear behavior of carbides, nitrides and borides in rubbing and sliding wear and in abrasive wear. However, there has been very little research conducted to determine their resistance to wear by erosive particles directed at the surface by a gas stream. In several of the newer energy conversion and utilization systems, particularly those that use coal, the mechanism of erosive wear is an active one that must be addressed.
The Teflon Idea: Market Mechanisms within Medicare

Employing Medicare as a case study, the authors present a new theory of ideational path dependence. In order to contrast ideational path-dependence with established models of policy-making, we will introduce our case study, the advocacy of, and attempted applications of, market mechanisms within the Medicare program (our article will specifically focus on HMOs, PPOs, vouchers, and HSAs). which include, among others, vouchers and the inclusion of managed care organizations. Ideational path-dependence poses various challenges to conventional understandings of institutional and policy path-dependence, the garbage can model of policy-making, multiple streams theory, and punctuated equilibrium. What connects these distinct threads is the role of ideas in policy-making.
Phosphorus Sequestration in Lake Sediment with Iron Mine Tailings

Internal phosphorus loading can lead to eutrophication in lakes when anoxic sediments release bioavailable phosphorus into the water column. In laboratory experiments, iron mine tailings helped to sequester phosphorus in sediment from a eutrophic lake. Phosphorus release from the sediments after extraction with distilled water or 0.02 N H 2 SO 4 was significantly reduced when mine tailings were added (1:1 w/w), even when the system was anaerobic (∼ 1 mg O 2 /L). The degree of sequestration was enhanced when glucose (1% w/w) was added to stimulate the growth of microorganisms, suggesting that the process was microbially mediated. We suggest that oxidized iron in the mine tailings served as an electron sink for microbial respiration via dissimilatory Fe3+ reduction. The reduced iron released into solution sequestered phosphorus, either as it re-oxidized and formed hydrous ferric oxide complexes containing phosphorus (HFO-P), or through precipitation. Since mine tailings are inexpensive, they may prove usefu...
Experiment study of PUMA robot calibration using a laser tracking system

Laser tracking systems (LTS) are among the most accurate robot metrology systems. These laser interferometer systems combine the advantages of high resolution, large work space and contactless measurements. A target mounter on the end-effector of the robot, is automatically tracked by a laser beam targeted by the moving mirror. A prerequisite for utilizing a LTS to calibrate robots is that the LTS itself should be self-calibrated successfully. In this paper, we describe the experimental calibration of a PUMA 560 robot by using a LTS developed at the Robotics Center, Florida Atlantic University. The calibration is based on a prior successful self-calibration of the LTS. Calibration results are analyzed and confirmed using a verification method. This is the first actual calibration of robots using a LTS in the United States during the 20th centenary.
Initiation of subsidence in a sedimentary basin underlain by a phase change

Summary. A mechanism of subsidence for axisymmetric sedimentary basins is investigated; it is assumed that the subsidence is caused by the super-position of the motion of a phase boundary and of the flexure of an elastic lithosphere in response to the loading of the Earth's surface by sediment. An approximate solution, describing the motion of the phase boundary when it is subjected to changes in pressure, is used to describe the early stages of the subsidence history of the basin. Several models have been investigated and are presented to demonstrate how the spatial and temporal characteristics of the sediment deposition affect the suggested mechanism. If the basin is wide (i.e. several times the depth to the phase boundary) and the sediment deposition is slow (in comparison to the phase transition relaxation time), the subsidence can proceed at the same rate or even faster than the sedimentation, resulting in an acceleration of the sediment accumulation. The mechanism investigated does not appear adequate for small-scale basins or basins where the sediment accumulated rapidly; it is a feasible mechanism for the large cratonic basins where the sediment deposition proceeded at a low rate for a long time.
Proceso de consenso en modelos mentales y aplicación al desarrollo de software ágil en bioinformática

Normal 0 21 false false false ES-VE X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:ES-VE; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} Los mapas cognitivos difusos han resultado utiles para la representacion de modelos mentales tanto individuales como colectivos. Para problemas tales como el analisis de sistemas complejos y la toma de decisiones usualmente resulta util realizar un proceso de consenso que permita lograr en el grupo un estado de acuerdo mutuo entre sus miembros. En el presente trabajo se desarrolla un modelo para procesos de consenso en modelos mentales con el uso de mapas cognitivos difusos y de la computacion con palabras mediante el modelo de representacion linguistica basada en 2-tuplas. El modelo se presenta de forma grafica y se describen sus principales actividades. Se presenta un caso de estudio aplicado al desarrollo de software para la bioinformatica.
New models for mixing wavefunctions with density functional theory

The recent realization that the ground-state correlation energy of the random phase approximation (RPA) is intimately connected to an approximate coupled cluster doubles (CCD) model [1], opens interesting avenues for mixing RPA with DFT [2]. I will describe some of the recent work done in our research group on RPA, including applications to van der waals and noncovalent interactions [3]. Time permitting, I will discuss a new mean-field model for describing static (strong) correlations [4-5].
Pax Arabica? Provisional Sovereignty and Intervention in the Arab Uprisings

This Essay was initially presented at the 16th Annual LatCrit Conference as part of the plenary panel on "Race, Resistance, and Solidarity in the International Order.” It is an early effort to make sense of external (particularly American) responses to the Arab uprisings of 2011. We argue that much of the American approach is premised on a vision of Arab political sovereignty as provisional and dependent on the state’s position in existing regional alliances. Indeed, we contend that such provisional sovereignty is a wider feature of the current global order, and speaks to pervasive substantive limitations on the capacity of weak states to shape domestic decision-making. Our discussion focuses on five transitions (Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain) presently underway in the region and the role of international actors in shaping political possibilities and outcomes. In particular, we emphasize how — regardless of whether the United States and its allies are promoting “orderly transition” or more revolutionary overthrows — international actors are “intervening” continuously throughout the region in ways that reinforce the conditional nature of Arab self-determination.
Carboxylates by alkaline fusion of biomass

Abstract Waste cellulosic materials represent a potentially useful raw material for the manufacture of carboxylate highway deicing chemicals, such as CMA. Although the alkaline fusion reaction has an appreciable heat of reaction and favorable thermodynamics, the physical structure integrity of cellulose hinders reaction. This resistance should respond to high levels of shear to which alkaline fusion is readily adaptable. Alkaline fusion offers other advantages in this context and we undertook to explore the effects of high shear upon production of carboxylates from the reaction of alkali with carbohydrates. From among the common mixer-reactor systems, the screw extruder was selected and implemented in a laboratory-scale apparatus. Its design was modified as one of the several variables examined. Kinetic variables were the nature of base and cellulosic feedstock, time and temperature. Although the physical interactions between reaction mass and equipment were noted, the yields of acetate and other carboxylates were the primary criteria of performance. The highest performance, 25% acetate (and presumably other carboxylates), was obtained in half an hour at 221°C from sawdust with 19 molar sodium hydroxide as the base. This datum conforms to and extends the work of Garves, which suggests that the yield of acetate is directly proportional to the concentration of base. The use of high shear considerably reduced the reaction's need for solution volume and excess base. It appears that still larger yields may be attainable, with smaller excess but higher molarity base, using the modified screw extruder.
Strong unique continuation for higher order elliptic equations with Gevrey coefficients

Article history: We address the strong unique continuation problem for higher order elliptic partial differential equations in 2D with Gevrey co- efficients. We provide a quantitative estimate of unique continu- ation (observability estimate) and prove that the solutions satisfy the strong unique continuation property for ranges of the Gevrey exponent strictly including non-analytic Gevrey classes. As an ap- plication, we obtain a new upper bound on the Hausdorff length of the nodal sets of solutions with a polynomial dependence on the coefficients. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Evaluation of vapor profiles of explosives over time using ATASS (Automated Training Aid Simulation using SPME).

Abstract Despite numerous instrumental achievements, canines are still considered the most effective field method for explosive detection. However, due to strict explosive regulations and safety requirements, it can be a challenge for agencies with “bomb dogs” to train using neat explosive materials. This establishes a need for non-explosive canine training aids with the same volatile component profiles as the explosives that they represent. In order to compare mimic materials to their explosive counterparts, a technique must be established that not only allows for identification of volatile compounds but also can monitor changes in the headspace profile over time with respect to time and temperature. The Automated Training Aid Simulation using SPME (or ATASS) was developed for that purpose. As described, ATASS was used to observe changes in the volatile profile of three explosives (Composition C-4, 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), and triacetone triperoxide (TATP)) and respective prototype training materials (0.1% by mass C-4, 1% by mass 2,4-DNT, and 1% by mass TATP). Samples were prepared in vials and metal tins within a gallon (≈3785 mL) paint can to simulate common field techniques for canine training. Monitoring these materials in real time provides a better understanding of the major volatile components present and how the relative abundances of these components can change over time. The results presented indicate that ATASS successfully allows for a sufficient comparison between explosive and non-explosive training materials.
Design and synthesis of multifunctional glycidyl ethers that undergo frontal polymerization

An investigation of the photoactivated cationic ring-opening frontal polymerizations of a series of alkyl glycidyl ethers has been carried out with the aid of a novel technique, optical pyrometry. With this technique, the effects of the monomer structure on the frontal behavior of these monomers have been examined. Upon irradiation with UV light, the photopolymerizations of many alkyl glycidyl ethers display a prolonged induction period at room temperature as the result of the formation of long-lived, relatively stable secondary oxonium ions. The input of only a small amount of thermal activation energy is required to induce the further reaction of these species with a consequent autoaccelerated exothermic ring-opening polymerization. Photoactivated frontal polymerizations have been observed for both mono- and polyfunctional alkyl glycidyl ether monomers. The ability of monomers to exhibit frontal behavior has been found to be related to their ability to stabilize the secondary oxonium ion intermediates through multiple hydrogen-bonding effects to the ether groups present in the molecule.
Reduction in health care resource utilization associated with extended-release theophylline.

Background People with airway disease are high utilizers of health care resources. Few studies document the value of alternative therapies in reducing utilization. Studies examining theophylline, which demonstrate reduction in resource utilization, have been primarily of short duration in hospitalized settings with small samples. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the role of oral extended-release theophylline in reducing health care utilization over an extended period of time when added to existing inhaler therapy for ambulatory patients with airway disease. Methods We used a retrospective, pretest/posttest design in examining the 1990-1993 South Carolina Medicaid database to compare health care utilization of 455 ambulatory patients for 4 months before and 6 months after extended-release theophylline was added to their treatment regimen. We assessed the following three outcomes: inhaler use, physician office visits, and emergency department visits, all measured in units/person/month. Results Our sample consisted of patients taking beta 2 -agonist only (n = 393), steroid only (n = 25), and beta 2 -agonist plus steroid (n = 37). Inhaler use and physician office visits declined significantly among beta 2 -agonist users, as well as within the entire sample. Initiation of extended-release theophylline therapy was associated with a 30% decline in utilization of inhaler and physician office visits, influenced mostly by the decline with the beta 2 -agonist group. Conclusion The results of this effectiveness study using an administrative claims database are consistent with the published randomized clinical trials that document the value of extended-release theophylline when added to existing inhaler therapy.
Darmin is a novel secreted protein expressed during endoderm development in Xenopus

Endoderm development is an area of intense interest in developmental biology, but progress has been hampered by the lack of specific markers for differentiated endodermal cells. In an unbiased secretion cloning screen of Xenopus gastrula embryos we isolated a novel gene, designated Darmin. Darmin encodes a secreted protein of 56 kDa containing a peptidase M20 domain characteristic of the glutamate carboxypeptidase group of zinc metalloproteases. We also identified homologous Darmin genes in other eukaryotes and in prokaryotes suggesting that Darmin is the founding member of a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins. Xenopus Darmin showed zygotic expression in the early endoderm and later became restricted to the midgut. By secretion cloning of Xenopus cleavage-stage embryos we isolated another novel protein, designated Darmin-related (Darmin-r) due to its sequence similarity with Darmin. Darmin-r was maternally expressed and showed at later stages expression in the lens and pronephric glomus. The endoderm-specific expression of Darmin makes this gene a useful marker for the study of endoderm development.
Topographical definition of new sites on the mitochondrial electron transport chain.

Summary The use of water soluble bathophenanthroline sulfonate as an inhibitor of electron transport in mitochondria and electron transport particles exhibits effects that may be related to the location of the multiple non-heme iron and copper proteins in the membrane. In contrast to lipophilic bathophenanthroline, hydrophilic bathophenanthroline sulfonate gives inhibition dependent upon membrane orientation. While NADH oxidation is sensitive in both intact mitochondria (C-side exposed) and electron transport particles (M-side exposed), succinate oxidation is inhibited only in mitochondria. Duroquinol oxidase is stimulated in mitochondria but unaffected in electron transport particles. Inhibitions of NADH and succinate by electron acceptor such as juglone, ferricyanide, duroquinone, and cytochrome c in the presence of appropriate inhibitors indicate at least one chelator-sensitive site on each side of the membrane for the NADH dehydrogenase complex and at least one site on the C-side in the succinate dehydrogenase complex. In contrast, lipophilic bathophenanthroline shows substantial inhibition at these and additional sites regardless of membrane orientation. A transmembranous orientation of dehydrogenase components is proposed having both surface exposed and buried chelator sensitive sites.
Capturing asymmetrical spectral regrowth in RF systems using a multislice behavioral model and enhanced envelop transient analysis

Nonlinear distortion in RF and microwave systems results in spectral regrowth of digitally modulated signals. The distortion above and below the main channel can be at different levels and this is attributed to baseband effects. This article presents a new multislice behavioral-model architecture that captures this asymmetry and can be implemented in a variety of circuit simulators, including SPICE, harmonic balance (HB), envelope transient (ET), and system simulators. The work is experimentally validated using an HBT power amplifier at 2.5 GHz driven by a WCDMA signal. The model is used with envelope transient circuit simulation which is enhanced to accommodate an arbitrary baseband transfer function. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2006.
Splitting the pasch axiom

On the basis of the theorye− of Pasch-free 2-dimensional geometry, Pasch's axiom is shown to be equivalent to the conjunction of the following two axioms: “In any right triangle the hypotenuse is greater than the leg” and “If ∠AOB is right, B lies between O and C, and D is the footpoint of the perpendicular from B to AC, then the segment OA is greater than the segment BD.” This represents an attempt to split the Pasch axiom with respect toe−. Only the question whether the second of the above two axioms is really weaker than Pasch's axiom, remains open.
Birth and death processes of governmental bureaus in the United States

This article deals with system-wide birth (origination or reproduction) and death (termination) processes in systems at the organization level. The birth and death processes can be described by a classical exponential for in the United States. The number of bureaus, outside the defense and postal services, is approximately equal to Poe(b-m)t, where P0 is the number of bureaus at some time zero, b = .0217 is the birth rate, and m = .0043 is the death rate. This suggests an absence of predators, but no shortage of sustenance for bureaus. The groth in the number of bureaus is not controlled in the executive departments of the national government of the United States.
Some Physical Characteristics Of Rare-Earth Imaging Systems

Since the earliest applications, the light emitting phosphor has been CaW04, with the excep-tion of a limited number of substitutes. Hence, except for some minor refinements, the modern intensifyingscreen is essentially identical to its earliest predecessors.In the x -ray energy region commonly encountered in diagnostic radiology the principal mode of energytransfer from an x -ray photon to an intensifying screen is the photoelectric interaction, hence intensify-ing screens should be composed of high atomic number constituents which can be densely packed within thescreen emulsion. Furthermore, the constituents should he selected so that the binding energy of K elec-trons in the screen components closely matches the spectral distribution of a typical diagnostic x -ray
Assessment of heavy metal and PAH exposure in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in the Reedy River watershed, South Carolina, USA: a multi-season assessment of metallothionein and bile fluorescence.

Biomarkers can be used as tools to help determine ecological exposure in watershed assessments. In the present study, metallothionein and fixed wavelength bile fluorescence for two-, four-, and five-ring hydrocarbons were used as biomarkers of exposure in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in the Reedy River watershed located in South Carolina, USA. Fish were sampled from three impoundments and a reference site over three seasons in the same year. Biomarker endpoints were compared to chemical concentrations at each site during each season. Results indicated that despite elevated concentrations of hydrocarbons being present in sediments, the hydrocarbons did not appear to be bioavailable based on bile fluorescence analysis. Bile fluorescence analysis also indicated that the hydrocarbons detected in this watershed were likely of petrogenic origin. Significantly elevated sediment concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Ag, Zn, and metallothionein were found in one impoundment, Lake Conestee, compared with the reference site, indicating both the presence and bioavailability of these metals. Seasonal variability of bile fluorescence was limited; however, metallothionein showed elevated concentrations in the spring and summer compared with fall. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012; 31: 2763–2770. © 2012 SETAC
Colicodendron martianum (Capparaceae), a Remarkable New Species from Northeastern Brazil

Abstract. Colicodendron martianum (Capparaceae), a new species of shrub known only from the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil, is described and illustrated. A comparison with its closest relative, C. bahianum, is included.
ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT ORGAN DOSES AND EFFECTIVE DOSES USING THE VIP-MAN ADULT MALE PHANTOM FOR SELECTED CONE-BEAM CT IMAGING PROCEDURES DURING IMAGE GUIDED RADIATION THERAPY

A Monte Carlo based computational procedure for determining organ doses and effective doses has been described for two procedures used in newly developed image-guided radiation treatment: kilovoltage cone-beam computed tomography (kV CBCT) and mega-voltage computed tomography (MV CBCT). A whole-body patient computational phantom, VIP-Man phantom, is employed for Monte Carlo dose calculations. Results indicate that the thyroid dose is always the highest in head and neck (H&N) scan for both kV and MV CBCT, and the bladder dose is the highest in prostate scan for both kV and MV CBCT. For the VIP-Man phantom, it has been found that the effective dose for kV CBCT (assuming a total exposure of 1350 mAs) is approximately 9.5 mSv for the two anatomical sites, whereas the effective dose for MV CBCT (assuming a total of 6 monitor unit) ranges from 5.10 mSv for the H&N case to 8.39 mSv for the prostate scan. The estimated whole-body effective doses allow different imaging procedures to be compared and evaluated.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide: An Important Trophic Factor and Developmental Regulator?

It has been proposed that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) or a very closely related peptide has important actions very early in embryonic development. Recent data supporting this hypothesis are that subnanomolar concentrations of VIP significantly increased the growth rate of cultured embryonic day-9.5 (E9.5) mouse embryos, and that embryos at this and later stages exhibit a high degree of VIP binding in the brain stem and spinal cord. It is not known whether VIP is derived from the fetus, placenta, or mother at these early stages, or whether VIP acts in this culture system in place of a related peptide. The earliest reported expression of VIP in rat embryos is at E13.5, when the peptide and mRNA are expressed transiently in a high percentage of cells in the rat stellate ganglia. The time course of events mapped in other sympathetic ganglia at this stage suggest that transient expression of VIP in the ganglia might function to regulate neuroblast and/or glial cell proliferation, maturation or survival. Tissue culture studies indicate that VIP can support many of these trophic functions at concentrations that are the same or lower than that necessary to increase cAMP levels by way of classical VIP receptors. For example, VIP at 10(-10) M stimulates the release of neurotrophic factors from glial cells and maximally stimulates the proliferation of astrocytes. Two VIP receptors encoded on different genes have now been cloned. Both are members of the seven transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor family and, when expressed in mammalian cells, mediate an increase in cAMP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
POTENTIAL HYPOGLYCEMIC SULFONYLUREAS.

A series of N ′-alkyl- N - p -phenylbenzenesulfonylureas and N , N ′-bis ( N -alkylcarbamyl) 4,4′-biphenyldisulfonamides has been prepared for pharmacological studies of their hypoglycemic activities.
Photofission cross sections of several nuclei with mono-energetic gamma rays

Abstract Gamma rays of 6.14, 6.91 and 7.12 MeV produced by the F19(p, αγ)O16 reaction were used to induce heavy element fission. The photofission cross sections of Th232, U238, U236, U235, U234, U233 and Np237 for a 7.0-MeV average gamma ray energy (a mixture of the 6.91- and 7.12-MeV gamma rays) are 9, 15, 28, 33, 52, 44 and 45 mb, respectively. The cross section for producing Mo99 from U238 with 7.0-MeV gamma rays is 1.1 mb. The 7.0-MeV photon absorption cross section of heavy nuclei is determined to be 60±20 mb. From this cross section one deduces that the gamma ray strength function Γ 0 /D for heavy nuclei at 7.0 MeV is (2.5±0.8)×10−4. The variation in the photofission cross sections with 6.14-MeV photons for nuclei in which photoneutron emission is energetically forbidden is interpreted in terms of resonance absorption. This results from the line width of the 6.14-MeV photons (O16 recoils stopped prior to the emission of the 6.14-MeV γ ray) being of the same order of magnitude as the average spacing between levels of the same spin in the compound nucleus.
Modularity and scaling in large phonemic neural networks

The authors train several small time-delay neural networks aimed at all phonemic subcategories (nasals, fricatives, etc.) and report excellent fine phonemic discrimination performance for all cases. Exploiting the hidden structure of these small phonemic subcategory networks, they propose several technique that make it possible to grow larger nets in an incremental and modular fashion without loss in recognition performance and without the need for excessive training time or additional data. The techniques include class discriminatory learning, connectionist glue, selective/partial learning, and all-net fine tuning. A set of experiments shows that stop consonant networks (BDGPTK) constructed from subcomponent BDG- and PTK-nets achieved up to 98.6% correct recognition compared to 98.3 and 98.7% correct for the BDG- and PTK-nets. Similarly, an incrementally trained network aimed at all consonants achieved recognition scores of about 96% correct. These results are comparable to the performance of the subcomponent networks and significantly better than that of several alternative speech recognition methods. >