cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parallel processing of run-length-encoded Boolean imagery: linear transformations and high-level image operations

This is the second of two papers which describe algorithms for the processing of Boolean imagery compressed by runlength encoding (RLE). In the previous paper, we presented sequential and parallel algorithms for a variety of operations over RLE imagery, including the customary arithmetic and logical Hadamard operations, as well as the global reduce functions of image sum and maximum. In this paper, we discuss RLE neighborhood-based operations, as well as the more advanced RLE operations of linear transforms, connected component labelling, and pattern recognition.
Half-lives of transmissibility of two aphid-borne viruses.

Abstract Application of a half-life concept for plant pathogens to the retention of inoculativity of viruses by their vectors was tested using strawberry vein banding virus and 7 variants of strawberry mottle virus in 4 aphid vectors, namely: Pentatrichopus thomasi, P. jacobi, and 2 clones of P. fragaefolii. The results gave evidence that (1) the rate of inoculativity loss in fasting aphid vectors can be expressed exponentially and (2) the virus half-life as measured by retention of vector inoculativity is independent of vector species and independent also of vector efficiency. Thus it may be a measure of virus inactivation and an intrinsic property of the virus.
Expression of carbonic anhydrase II mRNA and protein in oligodendrocytes during toxic demyelination in the young adult mouse

The aim of this study was to identify events that might take place in oligodendrocytes early in the process of demyelination, i.e., before the occurrence of massive loss of myelin. It was considered important to focus on demyelination and remyelination in young adults, in whose brains there would be relatively few juvenile glial precursor cells. CAII mRNA and protein were used to monitor changes in oligodendrocytes during cuprizone intoxication in the mice. After four or eight weeks of cuprizone feeding CAII message became less plentiful in oligodendrocyte processes. Two days after removal of cuprizone CAII message had appeared in those cell processes. Four or eight weeks after beginning cuprizone feeding CAII protein had decreased∼25% in forebrain homogenates. The loss of CAII protein was reversible after four weeks on cuprizone, but not after eight weeks. After four weeks of cuprizone feeding the numbers of CAII mRNA-prositive oligodendrocytes had decreased by ∼50%m and after eight weeks, by ∼80%. By 12 weeks, however, the number of oligodendrocytes expressing CAII mRNA had spontaneously returned to normal levels. Before eight weeks of cuprizone feeding, loss of myelinated tracts in the corpus striatum was reversible. Demyelination appreared to become irreversible after nine weeks of intoxication, although expression of CAII mRNA remained reversible. The results suggest that in the brain of the young adult, oligodendrocytes expressing message for CAII can be generated spontaneously shortly before demyelination becomes irreversible, and can survive and continue to express CAII mRNA but not CAII protein.
A multiple tray technique for implant-retained orital prostheses

The use of implants in retaining orbital prostheses has gained favor in recent years. Not all patients may be candidates for use of medical adhesives or anatomic retention as advocated by some. Osseointegrated implants offer an alternative method for retaining an orbital prosthesis. Because of the confining nature of an orbital defect, it may be difficult to reproduce the spatial arrangement of implants accurately with one impression. The technique presented here accomplishes the objectives of minimal trauma to the tissues, accuracy, and elimination of consecutive impression technique.
Environmental Research and Education in US Geography

This article evaluates geography as an appropriate home for environmental education. First, it argues that many geographers have defined geography as a discipline with a major, if not primary, interest in human–environment interactions. Next, it reviews the recent statements by non-geographer, environmental scholars that, directly or indirectly, argue for strong participation by geographers in environmental science and sustainability studies. After a brief review of the status and the nature of environmental research programs and environmental curricula, the article offers reasons why more environmental education does not take place in geography. The lack of environmental education in the discipline and the conservative nature of the courses taught are attributed to geography's small size and low status and to the controversial nature of environmental issues in the United States. A broad definition of environmental education is used when searching for evidence of its existence or importance, but special a...
A neural network design for event-related potential diagnosis

Many diseases resulting in neuropsychological impairment show abnormalities by EEG (electroencephalogram) tests. However, EEG analysis is complicated by a wide spectrum of normal patterns. Cerebral evoked potentials are stimulus-induced, averaged EEG potentials that have been found useful in patients with dementing illness. A recent report using the P300 auditory evoked potential shows that simple latency and waveform criteria result in classification accuracy of 65% for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients versus 91% for control subjects. Analysis on the same data set was performed using an artificial neural network (ANN) and a nearest neighbor (NN) classifier. An ANN classifier demonstrated a classification accuracy of 75% versus 87% on MS and control subject groups. Thus prediction accuracy was improved on average, compared with that obtained by NN classifiers or P300 statistical analysis. The classification strategy discovered by a trained ANN was analyzed by a weight pattern analysis method and compared with the P300 latency criteria.
Phenytoin-induced connective tissue growth in the rat

Rats were treated daily for 9 days with 100, 50, or 25 mg/kg phenytoin i.p. This treatment resulted in a significant increase in the thickness of the connective tissue capsules of the liver, spleen, and pancreas, and of the subepithelial connective tissue of the mesentery but not the epicardium or visceral pleura of the lung where exposure to the drug was via the vascular route. Many areas of connective tissue growth exhibited obvious proliferation of fibroblasts and in some areas contained seemingly large numbers of macrophages and an increase in vascularity. It was demonstrated by electron microscopy that the macrophages occasionally were seen in intimate contact with the fibroblasts. Our observations clearly showed that intraperitoneal exposure of visceral connective tissues of the rat to phenytoin rapidly resulted in a dose-related proliferation of that tissue. The presence of numerous macrophages leads to the suggestion that macrophage-derived growth factor could be responsible for the increased growth.
Acute occlusion of a remote coronary artery complicating directional coronary atherectomy

Two cases of acute occlusion in a remote coronary artery complicating directional coronary atherectomy are reported. In neither case was there definite angiographic evidence of spasm, dissection, or embolization. Since this complication is seldom seen with coronary angioplasty, it may represent a relatively specific risk of directional atherectomy.© 1993 Wlley-LIM, Inc
Timed reactions to an object in apparent motion: Evidence on Cartesian and non-Cartesian perceptual hypotheses

In three experiments on apparent motion, subjects were to press a computer key as quickly as possible either when the apparently moving stimulus passed the midpoint of its trajectory or when it reached the endpoint. If motion is perceived as a trajectory through a series of spatial locations, and if this type of percept is the basis of deliberate responding (assumptions that can be considered Cartesian in origin), then reaction times should be faster to the midpoint than to the endpoint. In contrast to these assumptions, there was no difference between reaction times to these two points. Alternative accounts of the results are discussed.
Field Measurements on Magnetic Recording Heads

A method is described for measuring relative values of the magnetizing force along the path traversed by the recording medium in passing through a magnetic recording or reproducing head. Field-distribution curves obtained by this method are shown. A method for calculating the frequency response of a reproducing head from field-distribution data is presented, and results of calculations are compared with a measured frequency response. In the recording process, the important part of the field lies in the air gap. The highfrequency response depends on the sharpness of cutoff on the "leaving" side of the gap, and is independent of the shape on the "approaching" side.
LADAR based obstacle detection in an urban environment and its application in the DARPA Urban challenge

This paper describes the development of an autonomous ground vehicle that participated in the 2007 DARPA urban challenge. Specifically, this paper introduces LADAR based static and moving obstacle detection algorithms for several traffic scenarios in the urban environment. The obstacle detection algorithm is critical for avoiding collisions with other vehicles and for safe driving at high speed. On the real road, the driver is faced with numerous traffic situations ranging from intersection traversal and lane changing to passing a stopped or slow moving car or performing a U-turn. For an unmanned vehicle to be successful, it must collect, interpret and act on sensor data about the surrounding world. The 2007 DARPA urban challenge demonstrated various approaches to navigate through these traffic scenarios. This paper outlines the approach used by the University of Floridapsilas Team Gator Nation to address the question of both static and dynamic obstracle detection.
An evolvant ofEscherichia coli that employs thel-fucose pathway also for growth onl-galactose andd-arabinose

l-Galactose,d-arabinose, andl-fucose form six-membered rings with identical stereoconfigurations. However, onlyl-fucose can serve as the sole carbon and energy source of wild-typeEscherichia coli K-12. A mutant that can grow onl-galactose andd-arabinose was isolated by alternate selection on the two sugars. Thel-fucose pathway became inducible by all three sugars. Transduction into the mutant of the wild-type fuc+ region containing both the regulatory and structural genes abolished the novel growth abilities onl-galactose andd-arabinose, whereas transduction into the mutant of a fuc deletion abolished the growth abilities on all three sugars. Introduction of the wild-type fucR+ (which encodes the activator protein for the fuc regulon) on a multicopy plasmid depressed the growth abilities of the mutant onl-galactose andd-arabinose, but not onl-fucose. The results suggest that the effector specificity of the activator protein in the mutant was broadened. It is proposed that an adaptive response of an activator-controlled system is more likely than that of a repressor-controlled system to achieve fixation in a population, because the first variant to emerge in response to a novel metabolic demand has a good chance of having an altered specificity of regulation. Such a change entails little or no metabolic liability during the absence of the novel substrate. In contrast, the first variant of a negatively controlled system to emerge has an overwhelming chance of being the result of a random mutation that destroys repressor function. Although negatively controlled systems can be more opportunistic in exploiting new conditions than positively controlled systems, an adaptive change is less likely to become fixed because of the cost associated with gratuitous constitutive gene expression in the absence of the substrate.
Infrared and Raman Spectroscopic Imaging

Introduction Microscopies based on the vibrational spectrum of a molecule provide perhaps the closest approach to universally applicable, chemically selective contrast generation techniques. Infrared and Raman microscopic imaging both use the technology of light microscopy, although in modified form. The mid-infrared and the near-infrared are both employed for microscopic observation. Raman imaging uses the visible region. Like the underlying spectroscopies, infrared microscopy is more widely practiced than Raman microscopy. And like the underlying spectroscopies, each has its characteristic advantages and drawbacks.
U.S. Comparative Education Research on Yugoslav Education in the 1950s and 1960s.

(2006). U.S. Comparative Education Research on Yugoslav Education in the 1950s and 1960s. European Education: Vol. 38, Post-Cold War Studies in Education (II), pp. 44-64.
TH‐A‐213AB‐07: Beam Orientation Optimization in 4pi Space for Liver SBRT

Purpose: Non‐coplanar beam geometry has been shown to improve plan conformity but manual selection of non‐coplanar beams is difficult. Previous beam orientation optimization algorithms did not include dose distribution explicitly in the objective function. Therefore, their ability to achieve high quality plans efficiently and automatically was limited. The purpose of this study is to implement a novel non‐coplanar 4pi optimization algorithm that overcomes these difficulties. Methods: A two stage inverse optimization was performed to select the beams and optimize fluences. For both stages, a pricing and column generation algorithm was used to iteratively optimize the inner product of the derivative of the objective function and the beam or beam aperture. The iterative procedure continued until a certain number of beams or beam apertures are selected or until the incremental inner product becomes negative. Ten liver stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT) patients previously treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) were replanned using the 4pi technique and compared with the actual delivered plan. 14 noncoplanar fields were selected by the 4pi algorithm to cover 95% of the PTV with the prescription dose.Results: With the same number of beams, the objective function value and the 50% isodose volume (V50) of the 4pi plan converge to a lesser value than the coplanar plan. For the liver cases, an average reduction of 14% in V50 was observed. The average liverdose and the volume of normal liver receiving 15 Gy or higher were reduced for 14% and 19%, respectively. Improved OAR sparing and target dose homogeneity were achieved simultaneously. Greater dosimetric gains were observed on lesions off patient center axis. Conclusions: Significantly improved dosimetry was achieved using the novel 4pi planning method compared with state‐of‐the‐art coplanar technique. 4pi technique is well suited for liverSBRT due to the organ laterality.
Aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in the Women’s Health Study: Effect of noncompliance

Randomized evidence for aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among women is limited and suggests at most a modest effect for total CVD. Lack of compliance, however, can null-bias estimated effects. We used marginal structural models (MSMs) to estimate the etiologic effect of continuous aspirin use on CVD events among 39,876 apparently healthy female health professionals aged 45 years and older in the Women's Health Study, a randomized trial of 100 mg aspirin every other day versus placebo. As-treated analyses and MSMs controlled for time-varying determinants of aspirin use and CVD. Predictors of aspirin use differed by randomized group and prior use and included medical history, CVD risk factors, and intermediate CVD events. Previously reported intent-to-treat analyses found small non-significant effects of aspirin on total CVD (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.91, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.81-1.03) and CVD mortality (HR = 0.95, 95 % CI = 0.74-1.22). As-treated analyses were similar for total CVD with a slight reduction in CVD mortality (HR = 0.88, 95 % CI = 0.67-1.16). MSMs, which adjusted for non-compliance, were similar for total CVD (HR = 0.93; 95 % CI: 0.81, 1.07) but suggested lower CVD mortality with aspirin use (HR = 0.76; 95 % CI: 0.54, 1.08). Adjusting for non-compliance had little impact on the estimated effect of aspirin on total CVD, but strengthened the effect on CVD mortality. These results support a limited effect of low-dose aspirin on total CVD in women, but potential benefit for CVD mortality.
Suppression of Nonsense Mutations in Cell Culture and Mice by Multimerized Suppressor tRNA Genes

We demonstrate here the first experimental suppression of a premature termination codon in vivo by using an ochre suppressor tRNA acting in an intact mouse. Multicopy tRNA expression plasmids were directly injected into skeletal muscle and into the hearts of transgenic mice carrying a reporter gene with an ochre mutation. A strategy for modulation of suppressor efficiency, applicable to diverse systems and based on tandem multimerization of the tRNA gene, is developed. The product of suppression (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) accumulates linearly with increases in suppressor tRNA concentration to the point where the ochre-suppressing tRNA(Ser) is in four- to fivefold excess over the endogenous tRNA(Ser). The subsequent suppressor activity plateau seems to be attributable to accumulation of unmodified tRNAs. These results define many salient variables for suppression in vivo, for example, for tRNA suppression employed as gene therapy for nonsense defects.
Field Ecology of the Exotic Mexican Red-Bellied Squirrel in Florida

An introduced population of the Neotropical red-bellied squirrel ( Sciurus aureogaster ) from Mexico was studied in the Florida Keys. Live-trapping on Elliott Key, Florida, revealed the mean population density of squirrels in a mature subtropical hammock over a 12 month period in 1972 was 2.47 squirrels per hectare. Two pelage color phases present on the island (totally black, and gray with a red belly) occur in the population in a ratio of nearly 50 percent (based on 99 squirrels sampled by live-trapping). Visual censusing of the two color phases in the dense habitat resulted in an incorrect estimate favoring the more highly visible melanistic color phase. The average home range size calculated for 18 adult males was 2.3 hectares, and for nine adult females was 0.9 hectare. Reproduction occurred intermittently throughout the year with no tendency for a synchronized breeding season. Based on limited data from four nestling litters, one or two young may be the normal litter size for the species. The squirrels exhibited a high degree of nest box utilization in the tropical habitat characterized by few natural tree hollows. The species is largely frugivorous and was observed utilizing the fruit or seeds of sixteen different species of tropical trees and shrubs including wild mastic, papaya, coconut, sea grape, and thatch palm. There is little predation pressure on the population, but competition for food and denning sites by black rats, raccoons, frugivorous birds, owls, and other species seems primary limiting factors on the island's squirrel density.
A molecular phylogenetic analysis of invasive and ornamental brooms and their relationships within the Genistoid legumes.

Abstract The Cytisus–Genista complex includes species that have become invasive following introduction into new geographic ranges as ornamental shrubs. Despite their impacts, the evolutionary relationships among invasives, ornamentals, and native-range species have never been investigated. Our objective was to examine relationships within the Cytisus–Genista complex to determine (1) the taxonomic identity of invasive “French broom” and ornamental “sweet broom” and (2) whether “sweet broom” contributes to “French broom” populations directly or via hybridization. We used sequence data from chloroplast and nuclear regions to gain insight into evolutionary origins and to confirm taxonomic status. Our phylogenetic analyses suggest a complex evolutionary history that includes hybridization events. Placement of invasive and ornamental individuals within the Cytisus–Genista complex resolves taxonomic uncertainty in these groups, as our phylogenetic analyses recovered separate “French broom” and “sweet broom” clades within the G. monspessulana clade in the genus Genista. Extensive cloning and sequencing of the ITS region revealed that, although the majority of invasive “French broom” in California is Genista monspessulana, hybridization with individuals from the ornamental “sweet broom” clade likely occurs in populations throughout the state.
Entitlements and distributive equity in cooperative marketing pools

Abstract Inter-member allocation of marketing pool income is contingent on the rule used for valuing members' raw product contributions. Such valuations depend, in turn, upon forecasts of the raw product's resale net returns. An entitlement-based notion of a pool's distributive equity, which generally differs from a welfare-based notion, is expressed weakly in the expectations domain or more strongly in expectations and variance domains. Valuing raw products according to unbiased unit return forecasts may or may not guarantee weak-form equity. If weak equity is not guaranteed, strong equity is assessed only in reference to a loss function. In any event, improved equity may involve increased information cost.
A PAC containing the human mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma gene (POLG) maps to chromosome 15q25.

The human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a closed circular, 16,569-bp double-stranded DNA, encoding 13 genes whose protein products are subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation system required for synthesis of most of the ATP consumed by eukaryotic cells. Point mutations of the mtDNA that cause multi-tissue, loss-of-energy syndromes, called mitochondrial encephalomyopathies (e.g., MERRF and MELAS), have been identified. In addition, large-scale deletions of the human mtDNA have been identified and are the molecular bases for the neonatal and adolescent onset loss-of-energy syndromes Pearson and Kearns-Sayer, respectively. 5 refs., 1 fig.
Polymeric Schiff Bases. I. The Synthesis and Evaluation of Polymeric Schiff Bases Prepared by Schiff Base Exchange Reactions

Abstract This paper compares the syntheses and the thermal stabilities of twelve related conjugated, pseudoconjugated, and nonconjugated Schiff base polymers of the general formula in which Z represents The polymers were prepared (a) by the condensation of Z(NH2)2 and p-C6 H4(CHO)2 in (1) solution and (2) as melts, and (b) by three new Schiff base exchange reactions: (1) the aldehyde exchange, (2) the amine exchange and (3) the bis exchange
Magnetic field effects on charge-density wave structure and transport in NbSe3 and FexNbSe3

Abstract The magnetic field couples strongly to the static low temperature charge-density wave state in both NbSe 3 and Fe x NbSe 3 . The electronic conductivity at both high and low electric fields is modified by the magnetic field. At very low temperatures the charge-density wave dynamics are also modified by the magnetic field. In Fe x NbSe 3 at high magnetic and electric fields enhanced Frohlich mode conductivity is observed at 1.2 K. The experiments suggest the presence of an anomalous magnetic component in the density wave structure.
Chaotic license for genetic instability and cancer

Replication initiation factors are essential for cell proliferation and thus are not expected to be disrupted in cancers. Challenging this notion, a new study in mice shows that a hypomorphic mutation in the gene encoding the replication initiation factor Mcm4 leads to genetic instability and predisposes to mammary adenocarcinomas.
Radiation-Induced Formation of 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine in Tyrosine-Containing Peptides and Proteins as a Function of X-Irradiation Dose

Radiation-induced formation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in Tyr and Tyr-containing peptides and proteins was investigated as a function of X-irradiation dose. Irradiated Tyr (0−30 Gy) and the acid hydrolysates of irradiated peptide and protein (0−240 Gy) were conjugated with dansyl chloride. The dansylated amino acids were analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC using fluorescence detection. Formation of DOPA, determined by integrated peak area, increased with dose. Analysis of the major product from irradiated tripeptide Tyr-Gly-Gly detected Gly and DOPA (2:1). Extension of the model study to irradiated BSA and RNase A showed correlation of DOPA formation with Tyr modification up to 120 Gy. Higher dose induced further transformation of DOPA. The fluorescence signal of dansylated DOPA was linear from 1.5 nmol to 0.5 pmol (correlation coefficient of 0.999, n = 3). The detection limit allows the detection of 1 molecule of DOPA/300 molecules of BSA in 5 μg of dansylated hydrolysate. Most standard amino acid ...
A systems approach for scheduling aircraft landings in JFK airport

The aircraft landings scheduling problem at an airport has become very challenging due to the increase of air traffic. Traditionally, this problem has been widely studied by formulating it as an optimization model solved by various operation research approaches. However, these approaches are not able to capture the dynamic nature of the aircraft landing scheduling problem appropriately and handle uncertainty easily. A systems approach provides an alternative to solve such a problem from a systematic perspective. In this regard, the concept of general systems problem solving (GSPS) was first introduced in 1970s, and yet the power of the GSPS methodology is not fully discovered as it had only been applied to few domains. In this paper, a new general systems problem solving framework integrating computational intelligence techniques (GSPS-CI) is introduced. The two main functions of the framework are: (1) adaptive network based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to predict flight delays, and (2) fuzzy decision making procedure to schedule aircraft landings. The effectiveness of the GSPS-CI framework is tested on the JFK airport in USA, one of the most complex real-life systems.
A micromechanical-based micropolar theory for deformation of granular solids

Abstract Granular material, perceived as a collection of particles, is modelled as a micropolar continuum taking account of the discreteness and microstructure of the material. The new feature of the proposed model is that the constitutive coefficients are derived in explicit terms of grain contact properties. In addition, the constitutive law, the equilibrium equations and the compatibility equations for granular material are derived to completely define a boundary value problem. Using the derived constitutive law and field equations, a procedure based on finite element analysis is described to obtain approximated solutions for boundary value problems. An example is shown for a granular packing under boundary pressure. Solutions of the example are compared with that obtained from the discrete element method to show the applicability of this method. Based on this model, the effects of particle rotation and couple stress on the deformation behavior of granular material are also studied.
Embodiment as a Paradigm for Anthropology

The purpose of this chapter is not to argue that the human body is an important object of anthropological study, but that a paradigm of embodiment can be elaborated for the study of culture and self. By paradigm I mean simply a consistent methodological perspective that encourages reanalysis of existing data and suggests new questions for empirical research. Although I shall argue that a paradigm of embodiment transcends different methodologies, I will not attempt to synthesize the broad multi-disciplinary literature on the body1 The approach I will develop from the perspective of psychological anthropology leans strongly in the direction of phenomenology. This approach to embodiment begins from the methodological postulate that the body is not an object to be studied in relation to culture, but is to be considered as the subject of culture, or in other words as the existential ground of culture.
Three-dimensional crack and contact problems with a general geometric configuration

Abstract A new method , based on point set theory and properties of orthogonal functions, is developed for determining exact solutions to three-dimensional crack and contact problems with complicated geometric configurations (e.g. a star-convex domain) in an infinite linear elastic medium. The governing equation is a two-dimensional Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. The central idea of this method is the chain extension of an exact solution from a regular subdomain to an irregular entire domain. Examples are given illustrating how this solution procedure can be used to obtain exact closed form solutions for a general Hertz contact problem and various crack problems in an inhomogeneous isotropic medium with an elastic modulus which is a power function of depth.
Population density and assaults in jails for men and women

Jail populations and capacities are increasing across the United States. Such increases raise questions about the potential for increased violence in crowded jails, such as those in Dade County, Florida. The study uses incident reports for the Dade County Jails Pretrial Detention Center (PTDC) for men and the Women’s Detention Center (WDC) for the year 1984. Assaults are examined in relation to total population, density by floors and total facility, and for the race/ethnicity and age of inmates. Findings show that density alone, or “crowding,” has the greatest effect on the number and rate of assaults. Neither age nor race/ethnicity appear to be significantly related to assaults, except in the WDC for white inmates. For both facilities assaults appear to decline when Black inmates are predominant in a living area and rise when whites predominate. The reasons for this phenomenon are not entirely clean.
Cardioprotection by Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase is lost at high doses in the reoxygenated heart.

Limited dose-response curves for superoxide dismutase (SOD) were assessed in isolated and in vivo hearts. SOD at 2.3, 7, 20, or 50 mg/L suppressed CK release in Langendorff rat hearts by 61%, 63%, 72%, and 30%, respectively. SOD at 0.5, 1, 5, and 50 mg/L suppressed LDH release in Langendorff rabbit hearts by 32%, 48%, 54%, and −12%, respectively. In rabbit hearts subjected to coronary artery ligation and reperfusion in vivo, SOD at 2, 5,or 15 mg/kg reduced infarct size by 10%, 30% or 19%, respectively, while 50 mg/kg increased infarct size by 28%. In conclusion, while SOD was protective at low doses in all models, protection was lost at higher doses in the isolated rat and rabbit hearts, and exacerbation of damage was seen in the in vivo rabbit hearts.
Conformational constraint as a means for understanding RNA-aminoglycoside specificity.

The lack of high RNA target selectivity displayed by aminoglycoside antibiotics results from both their electrostatically driven binding mode and their conformational adaptability. The inherent flexibility around their glycosidic bonds allows them to easily assume a variety of conformations, permitting them to structurally adapt to diverse RNA targets. This structural promiscuity results in the formation of aminoglycoside complexes with diverse RNA targets in which the antibiotics assume distinct conformations. Such differences suggest that covalently linking individual rings in an aminoglycoside could reduce its available conformations, thereby altering target selectivity. To explore this possibility, conformationally constrained neomycin and paromomycin analogues designed to mimic the A-site bound aminoglycoside structure have been synthesized and their affinities to the TAR and A-site, two therapeutically relevant RNA targets, have been evaluated. As per design, this constraint has minimal deleterious ...
Simple Flat Extensions. II

This note deals with the relationship between the flatness and the finite presentation of algebras over commutative rings. Specifically it is concerned with the question raised in [9] on when the flatness of the A-algebras A [t]/I as an A-module implies the finite generation of L This question was given an affirmative answer in [6] provided the subset of nonzero polynomials in I of least degree contains a regular element. In w 1 we give a relatively brief proof of this fact. w 2 contains the result that if A [t]/I is an injective flat epimorphic image of A then I is finitely generated. During the writing of this note the author benefited from conversations with W. Heinzer, J. Ohm and A. Viola-Prioli and had access to a manuscript with the details of the results announced in E6].
A framework for decomposing reputation in MAS into competence and integrity

In multi-agent communities, trust is required when agents hold different beliefs or conflicting goals. We present a framework for decomposing agent reputation into competence---modeled as the probability of successfully carrying out an intended action---and integrity---modeled as a rational commitment to maintaining reputation. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach in an iterated prisoner's dilemma (IPD) domain.
Hybrid CMOS/Molecular Electronic Circuits

CMOS silicon technologies are likely to run out of steam in the next 10-15 years despite revolutionary advances in the past few decades. Molecular and other nano-scale technologies show significant promise but it is unlikely that they will completely replace CMOS, at least in the near term. This paper explores opportunities for CMOS and nanotechnologies to enhance and complement each other in hybrid circuits, in order to sustain the historical advances in the semiconductor industry while addressing manufacturability, yield, power, cost and performance challenges.
Atherosclerosis induced by infection with Marek's disease herpesvirus in chickens.

Background This research was suggested after crystals that we observed in herpesvirus-infected cell cultures were identified as cholesterol. Other reports and the development of defined reagents led us to select the use of Marek's disease herpesvirus (MDV) infection of chickens to demonstrate a potential role of herpesviruses in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Available for our use were a clone-purified strain of MDV of known virulence, genetically selected, specific pathogen-free chickens, and appropriate isolation facilities to design controlled experiments to fulfill Koch's postulates. Methods and results Experiments were performed to test the roles of both MDV and dietary cholesterol in atherosclerosis. The birds were examined 7 months after MDV infection with and without cholesterol feeding for gross and microscopic arterial lesions. Atherosclerotic lesions were found only in infected normocholesterolemic or hypercholesterolemic birds. The character and distribution of these lesions closely resembled those found in the chronic human arterial disease. Atherosclerotic lesions were not found in uninfected birds even if the birds were hypercholesterolemic. Conclusions Evidence was obtained from other experiments that after MDV infection, cholesterol and cholesteryl esters accumulated in cell cultures and in atherosclerotic lesions. These changes were associated with altered enzymatic activity of the cholesterol synthesis cycle. Immunization with turkey herpesvirus vaccine or SB-1 vaccine prevented atherosclerotic lesions.
COMPUTER-RATED ESSAYS IN THE ENGLISH COMPOSITION CLASSROOM

With the advent of computer programs that rate essays, English teachers may use computers to help them evaluate and provide feedback on student essays. But how might teachers use the computer-generated ratings? To answer this question, 1 17 English teachers were surveyed to determine their current essay grading practices and their preferences for receiving and using computer ratings. Middle school and high school English teachers reported spending much of their time grading essays; yet, they provided students with relatively few words of feedback. Almost all of the teachers reported that they would use computer ratings to provide feedback to students. However, many teachers also reported that they would do less marking on student essays that are rated by computer than they do currently. Potential uses of the computer ratings include guiding teacher feedback and focusing peer feedback.
The Science of Policing

A cumulative message of modern police research is clear and compelling. The traditional police institution and the traditional structure for using resources on the street are failing, and policy and administrative arrangements for managing field services require comprehensive restructuring. Police research has raised discomforting questions about traditional practices. It has indicated opportunities for upgrading the professional model. Beyond this, the research suggests the need for the new form of police agency that can marshal extradepartmental resources jointly to plan and to achieve order enhancement.
Militarism, Empire, and Labor Relations: The Case of Brice P. Disque

Although war and militarization have loomed large in the history of the United States for well over a century, labor historians have only infrequently examined the relationship between American labor and the military. The career of General Brice Pursell Disque suggests the complex flow of ideas and personnel back and forth between labor relations in the military and in the civilian economy. First involved with the management of labor as an officer during the Spanish-American War, Disque went on to serve as a prison warden, the head of an army effort to suppress labor radicalism in the timber industry during the First World War, and in business posts involving collective bargaining. Through Disque we can begin to see the multiple connections between labor relations in the so-called free market of the private sphere and in the decidedly unfree arenas of military and penal life.
Full‐wave simulation of a three‐dimensional metamaterial prism

In this article, a negative-index metamaterial prism based on a composite unit cell containing a split-ring resonator and a z-dipole is designed and simulated. The design approach combines simulations of a single unit cell to identify the appropriate cell design (yielding the desired negative-index behavior) together with subcell modeling (which simplifies the mesh representation of the resonator geometry and allows for a larger number of resonator cells to be handled). In addition to describing the methodology used to design a n = −1 refractive index prism, results including the effective-medium parameters, the far-field scattered patterns, and the near-zone field distributions corresponding to a normally incident plane-wave excitation of the prism are presented. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:537–540, 2015
Moving Beyond “Special Needs” A Function-Based Framework for Emergency Management and Planning

Disaster preparation and emergency response processes, procedures, and systems can be made more effective for people with disabilities, as well as for the population as a whole. An essential element of building appropriate levels of capacity, specific planning, and response success is to move beyond use of the “special needs” category, to better identify and address the diverse needs of those included under this label. This article provides disability demographics and describes special needs populations to lay the foundation for this change. It suggests the development of a more accurate and flexible planning and response framework based on essential, sometimes overlapping, functional needs: communication, medical needs, maintaining functional independence, supervision, and transportation (C-MIST). It also proposes new approaches to functional support, leadership, service delivery, and training.
Force Application in Simulated Zero Gravity

Utilizing zero-gravity simulation techniques, six subjects provided basic force exertion data under various conditions of personnel restraints, worksite geometry, and type and direction of forces to be exerted. All data reported were collected with subjects wearing Apollo suits pressurized to 3.5 psig. Current efforts are providing baseline data under 1-g. and 0-g. shirtsleeve conditions. This study is part of an ongoing program of research on man's role in maintaining advanced space systems.
Expression of immediate early genes in the hippocampal formation of the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) during a food-hoarding task

Black-capped chickadees store food in many different locations in their home range and are able to accurately remember these locations. We measured the number of cells immunopositive for three different Immediate Early Gene products (Fra-1, c-Fos and ZENK) to map neuronal activity in the chickadee Hippocampal Formation (HF) during food storing and retrieval. Fra-1-like immunoreactivity is downregulated in the dorsal HF of both storing and retrieving chickadees compared to controls. In retrieving birds, the number of Fos-like immunoreactive neurons relates to the number of items remembered, while the number of ZENK-like immunoreactive neurons in the HF may be related to the accuracy of cache retrieval. These results imply that the brain might process complex information by recruiting more neurons into the network of active neurons. Thus, our results could help explain why food-hoarding birds have more HF neurons than non-hoarders, and why this number increases in autumn when large numbers of food items are cached.
Ontology-supported web crawler for information integration on call for papers

Call for papers is the most important information on research for scholars. How to easily search advantage information has become essential part in scholars or even the search-system manufacturers themselves. Therefore, the active webpage-searching techniques play an important role in the contemporary information system. In this paper, an OntoCrawlerII based on the ontology-supported technique for webpage searching was proposed, in which scholars just need to enter some keywords and the system supported by domain ontology actively would provide comparison and verification for those keywords so as to up-rise precision rate and recall rate of webpage searching. This technique has practically been installed in Google and Yahoo search engines and furthermore active searched and filtered out some unduplicated and related call for papers webpage and accordingly stored the results into a database to let the backend systems to do advanced processes. The preliminary experimental outcomes proved the technique proposed in this paper could really up-rise the precision rate and recall rate of webpage searching.
Outcomes Associated With Invasive and Noninvasive Ventilation Among Patients Hospitalized With Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

associated with lower risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia (OR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.44-0.64]), lower costs (ratio, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.67-0.69]), and a shorter length of stay (ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.79-0.82]), but no difference in 30-day all-cause readmission (OR, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.94-1.15]) or COPD-specific readmission (OR, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.91-1.22]). Propensity matching attenuated these associations. The benefits of NIV were similar in a sample restricted to patients younger than 85 years and were attenuated among patients with higher levels of comorbidity and concomitant pneumonia. Using the hospital as an instrumental variable, the strength of association between NIV and mortality was modestly attenuated (OR, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.47-0.91]). In sensitivity analyses, the benefit of NIV was robust in the face of a strong hypothetical unmeasured confounder. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In a large retrospective cohort study, patients with COPD treated with NIV at the time of hospitalization had lower inpatient mortality, shorter length of stay, and lower costs compared with those treated with IMV.
Left ventricular assist devices in heart failure

End-stage heart failure is an ever-growing and devastating disease. The median survival for patients with heart failure on ionotropic support alone is a meager 6 months. Historically, the only option for these patients was to be listed for heart transplantation. Out of medical necessity, the idea of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a bridge to transplantation was born. Since their approval by the US FDA, LVADs have quadrupled the survival in patients with heart failure. The increase in survival has also been accompanied by decreased perioperative morbidity, better biocompatibility and longer device life over first-generation LVADs. Undoubtedly, LVADs have changed the landscape of heart failure treatment and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. In this review, we will highlight the landmark studies that have established LVADs as a therapeutic option for heart failure, as well as reviewing the current LVADs available and speculating on the advancements that will be made in the upcoming ...
COUNTERVAILING POWER IN WHOLESALE PHARMACEUTICALS

There are a number of theories in the industrial organization literature explaining the conventional wisdom that larger buyers may have more "countervailing power" than small buyers, in that they receive lower prices from suppliers. We test the theories empirically using data on wholesale prices for antibiotics sold through various distribution channels—chain and independent drugstores, hospitals, HMOs—in the U.S. during the 1990s. Price discounts depend more on the ability to substitute among alternative suppliers than on sheer buyer size. In particular, hospitals and HMOs, which can use restrictive formularies to enhance their substitution opportunities beyond those available for drugstores, obtain substantially lower prices. Chain drugstores only receive a small size discount relative to independents, at most two percent on average, and then only for products for which drugstores have some substitution opportunities (i.e., not for on-patent branded drugs). Our findings are roughly consistent with collusion models of countervailing power and inconsistent with bargaining models and have implications for recent government proposals to form purchasing alliances to reduce prescription costs.
Abi3bp Regulates Cardiac Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

Rationale: Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) are thought to differentiate into the major cell types of the heart: cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. We have recently identified ABI family, member 3 (NESH) binding protein (Abi3bp) as a protein important for mesenchymal stem cell biology. Because CPCs share several characteristics with mesenchymal stem cells, we hypothesized that Abi3bp would similarly affect CPC differentiation and proliferation. Objective: To determine whether Abi3bp regulates CPC proliferation and differentiation. Methods and Results: In vivo, genetic ablation of the Abi3bp gene inhibited CPC differentiation, whereas CPC number and proliferative capacity were increased. This correlated with adverse recovery after myocardial infarction. In vitro, CPCs, either isolated from Abi3bp knockout mice or expressing an Abi3bp shRNA construct, displayed a higher proliferative capacity and, under differentiating conditions, reduced expression of both early and late cardiomyocyte markers. Abi3bp controlled CPC differentiation via integrin-β1, protein kinase C-ζ, and v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog. Conclusions: We have identified Abi3bp as a protein important for CPC differentiation and proliferation.
Goddard optical communications program

The main areas of research being conducted at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center are reviewed. Research on transmitter source technology is addressed, emphasizing the development of AlGaAs semiconductor laser diodes. Research on receiver technology is examined, and progress being made in the development of the Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking System (PATS) is reviewed. Plans for an in-space technology demonstration are briefly discussed.