cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SOLAR ACCESS AND THE URBAN FOREST

(1983). SOLAR ACCESS AND THE URBAN FOREST. Arboricultural Journal: Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 179-190.
Stochastic theory of multistate diffusion in perfect and defective systems. I. Mathematical formalism

A stochastic theory of multistate transport on ideal and defective lattices is presented. A continuous-time random-walk formalism with the inclusion of internal states is used in the derivation of a matrix (whose dimensions are the number of internal states) probability propagator. The propagator describing motion on an ideal lattice is modified owing to the presence of a periodic arrangement of defects. The expression for the modified probability propagator greatly simplifies in the long-time (diffusion) limit. In this limit the presence of defects renormalizes the ideal-lattice propagator through the inclusion of a self-energy-type term which depends upon the concentration of defect sites and the differences in transition rates of the propagating species associated with these sites and ideal ones. The formalism enables the study of complex diffusion mechanisms, as illustrated in the following paper, and allows the calculation of observables such as positional moments, diffusion coefficients, and occupation probability of states.
The asteroid belt and its evolution

Abstract We have reinvestegated the suggestion that collisional fragmentation in the asteroid belt can account for its present luminosity function. We suggest, based on the usual Boltzmann-type equation for this process, that for the brightest asteroids the time scale for a catastropic collision is 1.2 × 109yr. However, the assumption of molecular chaos is not valid in the asteroid belt and we demonstrate a new method to determine the necessary corrections. We then obtain, using the new procedure, a lower limit for a collision time. For the above sample it is 2 × 1011yr. This, we believe, rules out collisional evolution of the asteroid belt since its formation. Finally, we also show histograms of eccentricity, inclination, absolute magnitude, height above the ecliptic plane, and argument of perihelion for the 2829 asteroids with well-determined orbits. This represents a synthesis of the numbered asteroid and PLS data.
Bacterial expression, folding, purification and characterization of soluble NTPDase5 (Cd39l4), ecto-nucleotidase

The ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (eNTPDases) are a family of enzymes that control the levels of extracellular nucleotides, thereby modulating purinergically controlled physiological processes. Six of the eight known NTPDases are membrane-bound enzymes; only NTPDase 5 and 6 can be released as soluble enzymes. Here we report the first bacterial expression and refolding of soluble human NTPDase5 from inclusion bodies. The results show that NTPDase5 requires the presence of divalent cations (Mg2+ or Ca2+) for activity. Positive cooperativity with respect to hydrolysis of its preferred substrates (GDP, IDP and UDP) is observed, and this positive cooperativity is attenuated in the presence of nucleoside monophosphate products (e.g., GMP and AMP). In addition, comparing the biochemical properties of wild-type NTPDase5 and those of a mutant NTPDase5 (C15S, which lacks the single, non-conserved cysteine residue), also expressed in bacteria, suggests that Cys15 is not essential for either proper refolding or enzymatic activity (indicating this residue is not involved in a disulfide bond). Moreover, the substrate profile of bacterially expressed NTPDase5, as well as the C15S mutant, was determined to be similar to that of full-length, membrane-bound and soluble NTPDase5 expressed in mammalian COS cells.
Optical and coherence vortices and their relationships

ABSTRACT Studies of phase singularities in waveelds typically consider only monochromatic or deterministic waveelds.When the waveeld is partially coherent, eld singularities are not well dened and one must turn instead to thestudy of singularities of correlation functions. It has been demonstrated by a number of researchers that there isan intimate link between correlation singularities and the eld singularities of the corresponding fully coherenteld. Here we investigate this connection further by theoretically constructing elds which contain both eldand correlation singularities.Keywords: coherence, singular optics 1. INTRODUCTION A signicant amount of research, both experimental and theoretical, has been done to investigate phase singu-larities in optical waveelds, and has given rise to a eld known as singular optics. 1 These studies, which aretypically done for deterministic waveelds, have recently been extended by various authors to partially coherentwaveelds. 2 5 With one observation point xed, the typical form of a singularity of a partially coherent waveeldis a vortex line, called a coherence vortex or correlation vortex. More recent investigations have demonstratedthat there is an intimate link between vortices produced by a coherent wave in a linear optical system and thecorresponding correlation vortices produced by a partially coherent wave in the same system.
Relationship of the “Septal Syndrome” to Genetic Differences in Emotionality in the Rat

A problem of recent interest is that of the role of the septal region of the brain in emotional behavior. Working with rats, Brady and Nauta ( 1 ) and King ( 5 ) made lesions in the septal region and rated emotional behavior before and after surgery. Septa1 lesions, they found, increased strikingly the display of emotionality. The present experiment confirms these general findings. Its principal purpose, however, was to determine whether the heightened emotionality that follows septal lesions is a function of preoperative strain differences in emotionality. That such strain differences in affective behavior exist has long been recognized (see 3 ) , and a recent report by Broadhurst ( 2 ) carefully analyzes certain of these differences among five strains of rats. Casual observations before the experiment had suggested that rats of the hooded Lashley strain were normally more tense, excitable, fearful, and aggressive than albino rats of the Wistar strain, and this observation was borne out in the experimental tests. The two types of animals have provided two normal, but distinct, levels of emotionality, one "high" and the other "low," upon which the effects of identical lesions have been studied. Comparisons were made by means of a six-component rating scale of emotional display.
Circular dichroic analysis of immunoglobulins in phylogenetic perspective.

Abstract Both high and low molecular weight immunoglobulins from 9 phylogenetically key species have been purified and analyzed by circular dichroism (CD). The purified forms uniformly exhibit a CD band near 217 mμ consistent with the presence of β sheet structure. The spectra clearly lack transitions assignable to the α helix conformation except in the case of the structurally unique lamprey immunoglobulin where the presence of α helix transitions was seen. Differences in relative intensity of the 217-mμ band were noted between IgM and IgG in the immunoglobulins of species where this class distinction exists. The presence of certain classes of minor dichroism bands was consistent with the existence of periodic repetivity in the secondary structure of immunoglobulin molecules. The significance of evolutionary preservation of β sheet structure is discussed.
Small Molecule Inhibition of the TNF Family Cytokine CD40 Ligand through a Subunit Fracture Mechanism

BIO8898 is one of several synthetic organic molecules that have recently been reported to inhibit receptor binding and function of the constitutively trimeric tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family cytokine CD40 ligand (CD40L, aka CD154). Small molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interfaces are relatively rare, and their discovery is often very challenging. Therefore, to understand how BIO8898 achieves this feat, we characterized its mechanism of action using biochemical assays and X-ray crystallography. BIO8898 inhibited soluble CD40L binding to CD40-Ig with a potency of IC(50) = 25 μM and inhibited CD40L-dependent apoptosis in a cellular assay. A co-crystal structure of BIO8898 with CD40L revealed that one inhibitor molecule binds per protein trimer. Surprisingly, the compound binds not at the surface of the protein but by intercalating deeply between two subunits of the homotrimeric cytokine, disrupting a constitutive protein-protein interface and breaking the protein's 3-fold symmetry. The compound forms several hydrogen bonds with the protein, within an otherwise hydrophobic binding pocket. In addition to the translational splitting of the trimer, binding of BIO8898 was accompanied by additional local and longer-range conformational perturbations of the protein, both in the core and in a surface loop. Binding of BIO8898 is reversible, and the resulting complex is stable and does not lead to detectable dissociation of the protein trimer. Our results suggest that a set of core aromatic residues that are conserved across a subset of TNF family cytokines might represent a generic hot-spot for the induced-fit binding of trimer-disrupting small molecules.
Candida Peritonitis Complicating Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis: A Report of Five Cases and Review of the Literature

Five patients with Candida peritonitis complicating chronic peritoneal dialysis are described and the literature reviewed. Previous bacterial peritonitis treated with multiple courses of antibiotics is the major predisposing factor in these patients, although immunosuppressive therapy and bowel perforation are also important associations. The treatment of this disorder includes systemic and intraperitoneal antifungal agents with early removal of the indwelling catheter in patients who fail to respond promptly to such therapy.
On the biomechanics of human hip complex in vivo—I. Kinematics for determination of the maximal voluntary hip complex sinus

In recent years, multisegmented mathematical models of the total human body have gained increasing attention in view of the high cost of experiments with human cadavers and/or anthropometric dummies. While these models can simulate very complicated load-motion situations, their effectiveness depends heavily on the proper biomechanical description and modeling of the major articulating joints of the human body. In a research effort to obtain the in vivo biomechanical joint property data suitable for incorporation into these models, the senior author and his associates recently developed a new kinematic and force data collection methodology by means of sonic emitters. By applying and extending this data collection methodology, this paper in Part I presents kinematics for determination of the maximal voluntary hip complex sinus. An overdeterminate number of sonic emitters is utilized and the 'most accurate' three-dimensional kinematic data set is selected by first establishing a selection criterion. Quantitative results obtained from three male subjects are presented in a functional expansion form relative to a locally-defined joint axis system as well as in the form of globographic representation relative to the torso-fixed axis system.
The Fierce Urgency of Now: Barack Obama and the 2008 Presidential Election

This essay uses an analysis of the convention addresses of Barack Obama, John McCain, and Sarah Palin to explain the development of the 2008 presidential campaign. Obama’s ultimate appeal can be traced to his call for reconstituting the American Dream to take care of the entire community. It is his appeal to communitarian values in a time of growing crisis that explains the enormous movement that his campaign generated. As the economic crisis worsened in the fall, this message became still more powerful. In contrast, McCain and Palin ran a campaign based on personality, largely a depiction of McCain as a hero and of both of them as mavericks. Given their commitment to utterly traditional conservative policy prescriptions, the maverick theme ultimately declined in importance, leaving their campaign with no option except strident attack on Obama as unqualified and out of the mainstream. These attacks ultimately failed in part because of Obama’s skill at calmly explaining policy positions and also because in...
Automated multidetector computed tomography evaluation of subacutely infarcted myocardium

Background Delayed enhanced (DE) multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) can identify acute and chronic myocardial infarct. To our knowledge, automated techniques for infarct quantification on DE-MDCT have not been used. Objective We evaluated an automated signal intensity (SI) threshold method for quantification of subacute myocardial infarct and identified and quantified microvascular obstruction (MO) in subacute infarct. Methods DE-MDCT imaging was performed on 5 pigs 6–7 days after mid left anterior descending artery occlusion-reperfusion. DE-MDCT images were compared with triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining for infarct quantification and with hematoxylin and eosin (HE R = 0.90, P Conclusions We show the feasibility of using a semiautomated SI threshold technique for quantification of subacute myocardial infarct. We also show the persistent MO in subacute myocardial infarct on DE-MDCT images.
Protein Phosphorylation of Human Brain Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD)65 and GAD67 and Its Physiological Implications

Previously, we reported that protein phosphorylation plays an important role in regulating soluble l-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) [Bao, J. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 6464−6467] and membrane-associated GAD activity [Hsu, C. C. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 24366−24371]. Here, we report the effect of phosphorylation on the two well-defined GAD isoforms, namely, GAD65 and GAD67, using highly purified preparations of recombinant human brain GAD65 and GAD67. GAD65 was activated by phosphorylation, while GAD67 was inhibited by phosphorylation. The effect of phosphorylation on GAD65 and GAD67 could be reversed by treatment with protein phosphatases. We further demonstrate that protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C isoform e are the protein kinases responsible for phosphorylation and regulation of GAD67 and GAD65, respectively. Direct phosphorylation of GAD65 and GAD67 was demonstrated by incorporation of [32P] from [γ-32P]ATP into purified GAD65 and GAD67 and immunoblotting assay using anti-phosphoserine...
Germ Plasm Anchoring Is a Dynamic State that Requires Persistent Trafficking

Localized cytoplasmic determinants packaged as ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles direct embryonic patterning and cell fate specification in a wide range of organisms. Once established, the asymmetric distributions of such RNP particles must be maintained, often over considerable developmental time. A striking example is the Drosophila germ plasm, which contains RNP particles whose localization to the posterior of the egg during oogenesis results in their asymmetric inheritance and segregation of germline from somatic fates in the embryo. Although actin-based anchoring mechanisms have been implicated, high-resolution live imaging revealed persistent trafficking of germ plasm RNP particles at the posterior cortex of the Drosophila oocyte. This motility relies on cortical microtubules, is mediated by kinesin and dynein motors, and requires coordination between the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons. Finally, we show that RNP particle motility is required for long-term germ plasm retention. We propose that anchoring is a dynamic state that renders asymmetries robust to developmental time and environmental perturbations.
Strategy and tactics in the evolution of iron acquisition

To acquire iron, all species have had to overcome the problems of iron insolubility and toxicity. This review surveys the approaches taken in solubilizing and transporting iron by species in different kingdoms. In some instances, iron uptake systems are novel and are restricted to a few species or to a biologic kingdom. In other instances, it is clear that all organisms use homologous genes. With rare exceptions, ferrous iron (Fe(2+)) transport systems are not specific for iron and will effect uptake of other transition metals. Ferric iron (Fe(3+)) transport systems are highly specific for iron, and in vertebrates are used to target iron transport to specific tissues.
Inducible antisense RNA targeting amino acid transporter ATB0/ASCT2 elicits apoptosis in human hepatoma cells

Amino acid transporter B0/ASC transporter 2 (ATB0/ASCT2) is responsible for most glutamine uptake in human hepatoma cells. Because this transporter is not expressed in normal hepatocytes, we hypoth...
GAMPS: compressing multi sensor data by grouping and amplitude scaling

We consider the problem of collectively approximating a set of sensor signals using the least amount of space so that any individual signal can be efficiently reconstructed within a given maximum (L∞) error e. The problem arises naturally in applications that need to collect large amounts of data from multiple concurrent sources, such as sensors, servers and network routers, and archive them over a long period of time for offline data mining. We present GAMPS, a general framework that addresses this problem by combining several novel techniques. First, it dynamically groups multiple signals together so that signals within each group are correlated and can be maximally compressed jointly. Second, it appropriately scales the amplitudes of different signals within a group and compresses them within the maximum allowed reconstruction error bound. Our schemes are polynomial time O(α, β approximation schemes, meaning that the maximum (L∞) error is at most α e and it uses at most β times the optimal memory. Finally, GAMPS maintains an index so that various queries can be issued directly on compressed data. Our experiments on several real-world sensor datasets show that GAMPS significantly reduces space without compromising the quality of search and query.
Attunement and alignment of people with schizophrenia and their preferred alternative decision-makers: An exploratory pilot study comparing treatment and research decisions

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that may affect the decisional capacity, and as a consequence, preferred alternative decision-makers may be engaged to help with clinical care and research-related choices. Ideally, alternative decision-makers will seek to make decisions that fit with the views and preferences of the ill individual. Few data exist, however, comparing the views of alternative decision-makers to those of individuals with schizophrenia. Methods We conducted a written survey with individuals with schizophrenia living in a community setting, and a parallel survey with the person whom the ill individual identified as being a preferred alternative decision-maker. Complete data were obtained on 20 pairs (n = 40, total). Domains queried included (a) burden, happiness, and safety of the ill individual and of his or her family in treatment and research decisions and (b) importance of ethical principles in every day life. Two-sided paired t-tests and graphical summaries were used to compare responses. Results Individuals with schizophrenia and their linked preferred alternative decision-makers were attuned on four of six aspects of treatment decision-making and on all six aspects of research decision-making that we queried. Conclusion The preferred alternative decision-makers overall demonstrated attunement to the views of the ill individuals in this small study. Ill individuals and their preferred alternative decision-makers were aligned in their views of ethically-salient aspects of every day life. These novel findings suggest that alternative decision-makers identified by ill individuals may be able to guide choices based on an accurate understanding of the ill individuals’ views and values.
Effects of aromatic chemistry-turbulence interactions on soot formation in a turbulent non-premixed flame

In this paper, Large Eddy Simulations (LES) have been performed on an ethylene/air piloted turbulent non-premixed sooting jet flame to quantify the importance of aromatic chemistry-turbulence interactions. Aromatic species are of primary importance since their concentrations control directly the soot nucleation rates. In the current work, the chemistry-turbulence interactions for benzene and naphthalene are taken into account by solving transport equations for their mass fractions. A recently developed relaxation model is used to provide closure for their chemical source terms. The effects of turbulent unsteadiness on soot yield and distribution are highlighted by comparing the LES results with a separate LES using tabulated chemistry for all species including the aromatic species. Results from both simulations are compared to experimental measurements. Overall, it is shown that turbulent unsteady effects are of critical importance for the accurate prediction of not only the inception locations, but also the magnitude and fluctuations of soot.
Plasma Plant Sterol Levels: Another Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factor?

The disorder Phytoterolemia is characterized by ≈50-fold elevations in plasma plant sterol levels as well as tendon xanthomas and premature coronary heart disease.1 On pathological examination the xanthomas and arteries of these patients contain plant sterols.2 This has raised questions of whether plant sterols are proatherogenic and whether the “normal” variation of plasma plant sterol levels in the general population is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. The article by Wilund et al in the December 2004 issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology attempts to answer both questions through a mouse atherosclerosis study and an epidemiological study.3 See December 2004, page 2326 Phytosterolemia is an autosomal recessive disease, which results from mutations in one or both of two adjacent genes, ABCG5 and ABCG8 .4,5 These genes encode hemi transporters that regulate plasma plant sterol levels by limiting intestinal plant sterol absorption and promoting biliary plant sterol excretion. It is not entirely clear that the elevated plant sterols in Phytosterolemics account for their premature coronary heart disease, because some patients also have very high plasma cholesterol levels in early childhood and most adults with the disorder have moderately elevated plasma cholesterol levels. Therefore, it could be the associated hypercholesterolemia, rather than the elevated plasma plant sterol levels, that is responsible for the premature coronary heart disease. Plasma plant sterols cannot be synthesized endogenously and are completely derived from the diet. In Western populations, the major plasma plant sterols are campesterol (≈0.33 mg/dL) and sitosterol (≈0.25 mg/dL), with all others, including stigmasterol and brassicasterol, present at much lower concentrations. In the …
Confirming the value of pulse oximetry screening for diagnosing critical congenital heart disease

Commentary on: Thangaratinam S, Brown K, Zamora J, et al. Pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart defects in asymptomatic newborn babies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet 2012; 379:2459–64.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Thangaratinam and colleagues, studied the value of pulse oximetry screening of neonates for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD). CCHD is usually defined as a congenital heart disease (CHD) that requires treatment in the neonatal period to prevent death or severe morbidity; most of these neonates have ductus-dependent lesions. About 25–40% of children born with CHD have CCHD, and 10–35% of these infants leave hospital undiagnosed. Some die at home, and others return to hospital critically ill, with resulting higher operative mortality and morbidity, increased hospital costs and suboptimal outcomes. Pulse oximetry has been recommended to decrease these missed diagnoses, … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DLancet%26rft.stitle%253DLancet%26rft.aulast%253DThangaratinam%26rft.auinit1%253DS.%26rft.volume%253D379%26rft.issue%253D9835%26rft.spage%253D2459%26rft.epage%253D2464%26rft.atitle%253DPulse%2Boximetry%2Bscreening%2Bfor%2Bcritical%2Bcongenital%2Bheart%2Bdefects%2Bin%2Basymptomatic%2Bnewborn%2Bbabies%253A%2Ba%2Bsystematic%2Breview%2Band%2Bmeta-analysis.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252FS0140-6736%252812%252960107-X%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22554860%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60107-X&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22554860&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F18%2F3%2Fe26.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000305915900030&link_type=ISI
Physiology of Turkey Embryos During Pipping and Hatching.II. Selected Blood Parameters

Blood samples from turkey embryos taken at days 24 to 28 of incubation, a time of great embryonic mortality were analyzed for plasma calcium, magnesium, potassium, total plasma protein, lipid, and glucose concentrations. Plasma calcium increased significantly (P less than .05) until pipping, after which it declined until hatching. Plasma magnesium declined significantly (P less than .01) only at hatching. Potassium concentration declined significantly (P less than .01) as the hatched state approached. Plasma total protein concentration decreased until the onset of pipping, after which the concentration increased significantly (P less than .01) until hatching. Plasma total lipid concentrations decreased significant (P less than .01) during pipping, but the concentration remained constant while the poult emerged from the shell. Plasma glucose concentration increased significantly (P less than .01) prior to pipping and again at hatching.
Diffuse X-Ray Emission in Spiral Galaxies

We compare the soft diffuse X-ray emission from Chandra images of 12 nearby intermediate-inclination spiral galaxies to the morphology seen in Hα, molecular gas, and mid-infrared emission. We find that diffuse X-ray emission is often located along spiral arms in the outer parts of spiral galaxies but tends to be distributed in a more nearly radially symmetric morphology in the center. The X-ray morphology in the spiral arms matches that seen in the mid-infrared or Hα and thus implies that the X-ray emission is associated with recent active star formation. In the spiral arms there is a good correlation between the level of diffuse X-ray emission and that in the mid-infrared in different regions. The correlation between X-ray and mid-IR flux in the galaxy centers is less strong. We also find that the central X-ray emission tends to be more luminous in galaxies with brighter bulges, suggesting that more than one process is contributing to the level of central diffuse X-ray emission. We see no strong evidence for X-ray emission trailing the location of high-mass star formation in spiral arms. However, population synthesis models predict a high mechanical energy output rate from supernovae for a time period that is about 10 times longer than the lifetime of massive ionizing stars, conflicting with the narrow appearance of the arms in X-rays. The fraction of supernova energy that goes into heating the interstellar medium must depend on environment and is probably higher near sites of active star formation. The X-ray estimated emission measures suggest that the volume filling factors and scale heights are low in the outer parts of these galaxies but higher in the galaxy centers. The differences between the X-ray properties and morphology in the centers and outer parts of these galaxies suggest that galactic fountains operate in outer galaxy disks but that winds are primarily driven from galaxy centers.
Inhibition of salivary amylase by uranium.

Abstract Uranium nitrate, an inhibitor which appears to affect selected enzyme systems by a reversible combination at electronegative groups, inhibits salivary amylase activity completely in a concentration of 10 −3 M . The inhibition is not affected by doubling enzyme concentration but is reduced by increasing substrate concentration or by the introduction of organic α-OH dicarboxylic acids.
B Cells and Kidney Transplantation: Beyond Antibodies

Despite advances in immunosuppression over the last three decades, long-term kidney transplant survival is suboptimal,[1][1] and mechanisms of late graft injury are incompletely understood. There remains a need for identifying and validating biomarkers capable of accurately stratifying patients into
Neural connectivity patterns underlying symbolic number processing indicate mathematical achievement in children.

In early childhood, humans learn culturally specific symbols for number that allow them entry into the world of complex numerical thinking. Yet little is known about how the brain supports the development of the uniquely human symbolic number system. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging along with an effective connectivity analysis to investigate the neural substrates for symbolic number processing in young children. We hypothesized that, as children solidify the mapping between symbols and underlying magnitudes, important developmental changes occur in the neural communication between the right parietal region, important for the representation of non-symbolic numerical magnitudes, and other brain regions known to be critical for processing numerical symbols. To test this hypothesis, we scanned children between 4 and 6 years of age while they performed a magnitude comparison task with Arabic numerals (numerical, symbolic), dot arrays (numerical, non-symbolic), and lines (non-numerical). We then identified the right parietal seed region that showed greater blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in the numerical versus the non-numerical conditions. A psychophysiological interaction method was used to find patterns of effective connectivity arising from this parietal seed region specific to symbolic compared to non-symbolic number processing. Two brain regions, the left supramarginal gyrus and the right precentral gyrus, showed significant effective connectivity from the right parietal cortex. Moreover, the degree of this effective connectivity to the left supramarginal gyrus was correlated with age, and the degree of the connectivity to the right precentral gyrus predicted performance on a standardized symbolic math test. These findings suggest that effective connectivity underlying symbolic number processing may be critical as children master the associations between numerical symbols and magnitudes, and that these connectivity patterns may serve as an important indicator of mathematical achievement.
Citizen-Initiated Contacting of Government Officials and Socioeconomic Status: Determining the Relationship and Accounting for It

The topic of citizen-initiated contacting of government officials has received increasing attention, but research has yielded conflicting findings on the relationship of socioeconomic status to contacting behavior. Various studies find that the two are negatively, positively, parabolically, or negligibly related. Data are presented supporting the claim of a positive relationship, and reasons for the conflicting findings are explored. The need-awareness model, associated with the finding of a parabolic relationship between socioeconomic status and contacting at the aggregate level, is tested at the individual level of analysis. While the importance of the need and awareness factors is affirmed, the overall model is not supported. As with other modes of political participation, sense of efficacy is found to be an important predictor of contracting, but the positive relationship between socioeconomic status and contacting remains when efficacy is controlled.
Applications of phase gradient autofocus to aperture synthesis imaging

Summary form only given. A recently developed synthetic aperture radar (SAR) autofocus technique called the phase gradient autofocus (PGA) algorithm is considered. it has been developed to mitigate the problem of phase error compensation, which is common to all aperture synthesis imaging systems. The phase errors manifest themselves as redundant information in the reconstructed image. This invites the use of a data-driven algorithm to estimate the phase error function and perform the restorative deconvolution. The PGA algorithm exploits this redundancy to obtain a linear minimum variance estimator of the phase error. It has been demonstrated to be robust, computationally efficient, and easily implemented in standard digital signal processing hardware. >
Growth trends in wide-area TCP connections

A recently completed single-site study has yielded information about how Internet traffic will evolve, as new users discover the Internet and existing users find new ways to incorporate the Internet into their work patterns. The author reviews existing statistics and studies of network growth, which show that network traffic generally grows exponentially with time, at least until the network carrying capacity is reached. He then describes how he captured and reduced the data used in this study. The following points are also addressed: the overall growth in the site's wide-area traffic; the appearance of periodic traffic; the growth in network use by individual computers or users; and the changing geographic profile of the traffic. The implications and limitations of the results are also summarizes. >
PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG JUVENILE OFFENDERS A Latent Profile Investigation

The high rate of co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems among antisocial and delinquent youth is a widely recognized problem in the juvenile justice system. Yet few studies have delineated meaningful clinical distinctions in the characteristics of offenders with co-occurring problems. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of juvenile offenders based on clinically relevant measures of psychiatric symptoms (including past traumatic experiences), lifetime substance use, and drug- and alcohol-related problems stemming from the use of psychoactive substances in a statewide population (n = 723). Findings revealed that a four-class solution fit the data optimally. The four classes identified represented a severity-based gradient of symptom and substance use endorsement ranging from a mild subgroup (n = 195; 27.0%), to moderately low ( n = 250; 34.6%) and high (n = 197; 27.2%) subgroups, and finally, a severely distressed subgroup (n = 81; 11.2%). Implications for identifying and...
Flow-Diverting Stents in the Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms

Aneurysms are regarded as “complex” when they are challenging to treat using conventional surgical or endovascular approaches. Complexity is typically associated with very large or giant size, dysplastic or fusiform morphology, recurrence after prior surgical or endovascular treatment, and other anatomical features making conventional surgical or endovascular treatment challenging or impossible. Flow-diverting stents may allow a constructive, technically feasible, definitive, and durable treatment option in many of these cases that were previously deemed “complex” or “untreatable” in the past.
Position of the American Dietetic Association, American Society for Nutrition, and Society for Nutrition Education: Food and Nutrition Programs for Community-Residing Older Adults

Given the federal cost-containment policy to rebalance long-term care away from nursing homes to home- and community-based services, it is the position of the American Dietetic Association, the American Society for Nutrition, and the Society for Nutrition Education that all older adults should have access to food and nutrition programs that ensure the availability of safe, adequate food to promote optimal nutritional status. Appropriate food and nutrition programs include adequately funded food assistance and meal programs, nutrition education, screening, assessment, counseling, therapy, monitoring, evaluation, and outcomes documentation to ensure more healthful aging. The growing number of older adults, the health care focus on prevention, and the global economic situation accentuate the fundamental need for these programs. Yet far too often food and nutrition programs are disregarded or taken for granted. Growing older generally increases nutritional risk. Illnesses and chronic diseases; physical, cognitive, and social challenges; racial, ethnic, and linguistic differences; and low socioeconomic status can further complicate a situation. The beneficial effects of nutrition for health promotion, risk reduction, and disease management need emphasis. Although many older adults are enjoying longer and more healthful lives in their own homes, others, especially those with health disparities and poor nutritional status, would benefit from greater access to food and nutrition programs and services. Food and nutrition practitioners can play a major role in promoting universal access and integrating food and nutrition programs and nutrition services into home- and community-based services.
An iterative approach to the design of IFIR matched filters

The interpolated FIR (IFIR) technique has been shown to be very useful in designing narrow band lowpass filters. The IFIR filters enjoys significant saving in the number of multipliers and can be implemented efficiently. In the case when an desired filter (non-IFIR) is given as in some applications, e.g., matched filters, we propose the use of IFIR filters to approximate the desired filter. An iterative approach to the design of IFIR approximation filters in the least square sense is presented.
A Field Method for Near Real-Time Analysis of Perchloroethylene in End-Exhaled Breath

The field method for near real-time analysis of perchloroethylene (Perc) in breath is simple, fast, and reproducible for Perc breath analysis in field settings and should prove useful in industrial hygiene practice. The method allows Perc monitoring with good specificity to the sub-part per million (ppm) level within minutes of exposure. A commercially available, portable gas chromatograph with a photoionization detector was used in these analyses. Gas chromatograph settings were optimized in the laboratory for measurement of Perc in Tedlar bags. Laboratory development of the method included evaluation of the sensitivity, specificity, precision, and speed of analysis for Perc. Replicate aliquots of Perc at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 100 ppm were used to construct a calibration curve. The mean retention time for Perc was 238 sec. The impact of potential interference by acetone, toluene, isoprene, methanol, ethanol, acetaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, or chloroform was evaluated by mixing Perc with each compound and performing analyses. Measurements of Perc in human breath samples collected in Tedlar bags in a workplace setting were made and compared to measurements of the same samples made by an established analytical method using charcoal tubes (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH] Method 1003). The accuracy, precision, and speed of the gas chromatograph method were determined. Measurements made with the new method were within a margin of +/- 8.8% (95% CI, n = 6) of measurements made according to NIOSH Method 1003 for field samples in the range of 0.9 to 6 ppm. Method precision was determined by calculating the pooled coefficient of variation for all measurements (replicates = 3) made in the field and was found to be 5.8%.
Introduction to Chernoff (1959) Sequential Design of Experiments

Herman Chernoff was born in New York City on July 1, 1923. His parents immigrated from Russia. Herman graduated from Townsend Harris High School in New York City in 1939 and entered the New York University to study mathematics (with minor in physics). He received a B.S. in 1943 and went to Brown University for graduate studies in applied mathematics. With a brief interruption (as a result of the draft in 1945), he completed his non- thesis requirement at Brown and came to Columbia University, in January 1947, to work on his dissertation under the supervision of Abraham Wald. He was awarded a Ph.D. from Brown University in 1948. Herman served on the faculty at the University of Illinois, Stanford University, and MIT; currently, he is at Harvard University. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Fellow (and past president) of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, Fellow of the American Statistical Association, elected member of the International Statistical Institute, and a member of a number of other professional socities.
Liver organelle changes on exposure to hypoxia

Exposure of mice to hypoxia reduces the length of each element of endoplasmic reticulum. This may shorten the path length of oxygen within the cell and have an adaptive advantage. There were no significant changes in the other organelles.
Athletes Face Some Legal Risks with Social Networking

This article discusses the increasing use of social media among athletes at the professional, college and even high school level. It also details the ramifications of improper use at each level and what possible rights, specifically First and Fourth Amendment, athletes have when they use social media.
Thrombin preconditioning, heat shock proteins and thrombin-induced brain edema.

Intracerebral injections of high concentrations of thrombin cause brain edema but, in vitro, low concentrations of thrombin may be neuroprotective. This study investigated whether a low dose of thrombin might induce tolerance to subsequent large doses of thrombin (thrombin preconditioning; TPC) in a manner analogous to ischemic preconditioning. The study involved five parts. The first tested the effect of intracerebral infusion of a small dose (1 U) of thrombin on brain water content. In the second part, the effect of such a small dose of thrombin on subsequent edema formation from a large dose of thrombin (5 U) was evaluated. The time course of TPC was examined in the third part. In the fourth part, heat shock protein (HSP) 27, HSP32 and HSP70 were quantitated by Western blotting analysis while the fifth identified the cell types expressing HSPs.
The First Investor-State Arbitration

In recent years investor-state arbitration has become ubiquitous. Foreign investors who believe the states hosting their investments have violated their rights under international law routinely sue those states before international tribunals. Most investment law experts would probably identify the origins of the field in a famous “first”, the signing of the first bilateral investment treaty (between Germany and Pakistan) in 1959. But in fact, we can trace investor-state arbitration back much further — nearly a century further — to a long forgotten but nonetheless fascinating dispute between the Suez Canal Company and Egypt, arbitrated by a commission of legal and diplomatic luminaries appointed by Napoleon III, the Emperor of France. The arbitration is fascinating, in part, because the Company’s claim of mistreatment has a strikingly modern (and perhaps even timeless) character: under what circumstances, and with what consequences, can the government of the day change its laws in order to promote its conception of the public good, where the change negatively impacts, and perhaps even destroys, the value of the foreigner’s investments? The Suez Commission’s solution, based essentially on a principle of sanctity of contract, is one that finds significant support in modern jurisprudence. Citing “the contract” is, and long has been, a powerful rhetorical and legal weapon for the aggrieved investor.
A Computer Program for Analysis of Heat and Sweat Transport Processing among Clothes

布素材間の熱・水分移動特性を測定するのに必要なソフトウエアの開発には、温度、湿度および熱流センサからのデータを直接パーソナルコンピュータに取り込む機能を有し、また湿度センサの値の信頼性が十分でないためこれを自動補正する機能も含めることが必要であった。さらに、得られたデータの処理を簡単な操作で、適当な場所を画面上でカットし、適当な関数を選択して非線形最小自乗法によって衣服素材の特徴部分を関数化する処理もできるようにした。この様な処理法の導入によって衣服素材の物性値のデータベース化を容易にできることが分かった。
Monitoring the efficacy of targeted therapy with in vivo fluorescence lifetime imaging

In this study we have shown that in-vivo fluorescence lifetime imaging can be used for monitoring the efficacy of targeted therapy with 17-DMAG on HER2 positive tumors.
Sequential Detection of Infrared Point Target based on Fuzzy Decision Fusion

Toward detection of moving point target in infrared sequential images,the sequential association detection algorithm is research in this paper.Based on the single detection,the decision fusion is introduced and the sequential detection based on fuzzy decision fusion is build.Because the fuzzy decision fusion is built based on minimum Bayesian risk criterion,it improves the detection performance.Experimental results to real data proof the feasibility and validity of distributed fuzzy decision fusion method based on minimum Bayesian risk criterion.
Spontaneous Bluetongue in Texas White-Tailed Deer

The clinical, gross, and microscopic findings of an outbreak of bluetongue (BT) in a herd of captive white-tailed deer are described. Serologic diagnosis of BT was accomplished by fluorescent antibody (FA) reaction in tissues from affected deer. The basic lesion was considered on the basis of histopathologic and FA findings to be a vasculitis. A possible relationship of BTV of deer and sheep to epizootic hemorrhagic disease of deer is discussed.
An Examination of Self-Rated Health Among African-American Men

Self-rated health is a concept that has been linked to objective health outcomes but has not received much attention with regard to African-American men. The purpose of this study is to examine the relation of multiple factors (sociodemographic, health behaviors, personal health measures, and personality traits) with self-rated health in a sample of African-American men. The role personality plays in self-rated health in combination with other variables among African-American males has not thoroughly been explored. One hundred and seventy African-American men, ages 30–70 years old, were recruited for this study and completed a questionnaire assessing self-rated health, sociodemographics, health behaviors, personal health measures, and personality traits. Block-wise regression modeling was employed. The blocks were sociodemographics, health behaviors, personal health measures, and personality traits. Variables significantly associated with self-rated health in block-wise regression analyses at P < .05 (household income, BMI, number of health conditions, and neuroticism) were entered into the final multiple logistic regression model. Being obese was associated with greater odds of poor/fair self-rated health compared to being normal weight (OR = 9.02, 95 % CI 2.85–28.51, P < .001). Compared to reporting no health conditions, having more than one health condition was associated with greater odds of reporting poor/fair self-rated health (OR = 4.82, 95 % CI 1.18–19.69, P = .029). This study shows that existing medical conditions are important determinants of self-rated health among African-American men.
Iceberg Gouges on the Antarctic Shelf

Glaciogenic features on the shelf around the margin of Antarctica can be related to iceberg gouging of the seabed to water depths of at least 500 m. The reworking of the seabed by ice produces modern diamicts [ice keel turbates; Vorren et al., 1983] related to the presence and draft of icebergs rather than to immediate glacial proximity [Woodworth-Lynas et al.,1985] Off Wilkes Land in Antarctica, sea-floor gouges caused by iceberg keels are recognized as linear incisions a few meters deep and tens of meters wide (Figs. 1 and 2)[Barnes and Lien, 1988]. Sub-circular depressions 30–150m in diameter and hummocky bed features also represent iceberg resting and dragging sites. The crispness of sea-bed morphology in unconsolidated sediments, adjacent Holocene sediment ponding in similar features, and active hydraulic sedimentary processes suggested by banktop lag deposits, indicate that the sea floor is presently being reworked by ice keels.
Dealing with data.

The Scientific Computing and Automation Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 18–20 September, will feature software for numeric computation and curve-fitting applications.