cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing temporal distinguishability of an N -photon state by a generalized photon bunching effect with multiphoton interference

The complementarity principle of quantum mechanics relates qualitatively the visibility of quantum interference with path indistinguishability. A quantitative study was recently presented [Z. Y. Ou, Phys. Rev. A 74, 063808 (2006)]. Following the formalism of this study, we investigate another scheme for characterizing quantitatively the degree of temporal distinguishability of an $N$-photon state, based on constructive quantum interference between an $N$-photon and a single-photon state. This scheme is related to a generalized photon bunching effect in the form of a ``bump,'' in contrast to the ``dip'' for the destructive interference effect in the previous study. Generalization to other more complicated cases is straightforward and is much simpler than for the scheme of destructive interference in the previous study. A degree of (in)distinguishability is defined and can be determined experimentally by the measurement of the size of the constructive multiphoton interference effect.
A parametric study on strain energy release rates of compression members

Abstract The objective of this paper is to assess the delamination growth subsequent to sublaminate buckling in composite laminates by evaluating the strain energy release rates. Laminates under a wide range of compressive loads, different material properties and stacking sequences are parametrically and experimentally studied.
Nature of the two-step temperature-programmed decomposition of PdO supported on alumina

Abstract Temperature-programmed decomposition of PdO supported on high-surface-area alumina occurs in a two-step process starting near the temperature of bulk PdO decomposition, but slowing to near-zero rates as the bulk oxide decomposition temperature is traversed. Most of the oxide decomposes in a second step 40–60 °C above the bulk PdO decomposition temperature. We present evidence suggesting that a thin Pd shell forms initially on the surface of PdO particles and propose that the resulting core–shell structure is connected with the observed meta-stability. Both the experimental results and order-of-magnitude estimates indicate that neither small particle effects (metal-support interaction or surface energy) nor low oxygen permeability through the Pd shell explain the two-step process. We tentatively ascribe the higher-temperature PdO decomposition step to the contribution of strain energy to the Pd shell imparted by epitaxy with the underlying PdO lattice.
Changes in the Prevalence of Injection Drug Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Large U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Young injection drug users (IDUs) are at risk for acquiring blood-borne diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C. Little is known about the population prevalence of young IDUs. We (1) estimate annual population prevalence rates of young IDUs (aged 15–29) per 10,000 in 95 large U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) from 1992 to 2002; (2) assess the validity of these estimates; and (3) explore whether injection drug use among youth in these MSAs began to rise after HAART was discovered. A linear mixed model (LMM) estimated the annual population prevalence of young IDUs in each MSA and described trends therein. The population prevalence of IDUs among youths across 95 MSAs increased from 1996 (mean = 95.64) to 2002 (mean = 115.59). Additional analyses of the proportion of young IDUs using health services suggest this increase may have continued after 2002. Harm reduction and prevention research and programs for young IDUs are needed.
The reading performance of English learners in grades 1–3: the role of initial status and growth on reading fluency in Spanish and English

The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the developmental patterns in pseudoword reading and oral reading fluency in Spanish and English for Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) in grades 1–3, and (b) investigate whether initial status and growth rates in reading fluency in Spanish and English, significantly predicted reading comprehension within languages and across languages. Participants were 173 Spanish-speaking ELs in first grade, 156 ELs in second grade, and 142 ELs in third grade across four schools providing a paired bilingual reading program. Results of hierarchical linear modeling indicated different patterns of reading growth in Spanish and English across measures and across grades. ELs at the beginning of first grade had higher scores on pseudoword reading in Spanish than in English and had a higher rate of growth on Spanish pseudoword reading. In second and third grades, initial scores on oral reading fluency were comparable in both languages, but oral reading fluency growth rates were higher in English than in Spanish. Results from regression and path analysis indicated that student initial scores and growth on reading fluency were strong and direct predictors of their reading comprehension within the same language, but not across different languages.
Trophoblast stem cells derived from nuclear transfer embryos: Phenotypically unique, bad neighbors, or poor communicators?

Nuclear transfer is an effective reprogramming strategy that can redirect the utilization of nuclear instructions and ultimately phenotypes (1). When oocytes are used as the host, a somatic cell nucleus can be reprogrammed to activate the earliest stages of embryonic development (2, 3). Nuclear transfer embryos can develop until the stage when they are ready to implant into the uterus or shortly thereafter and then most degenerate. Very few nuclear transfer embryos successfully progress to term. Those that do mature are characterized by abnormalities in placentation, which in the mouse is placentomegaly (ref. 4 and Fig. 1). Recent reports, including one appearing in this issue of PNAS (5), investigate the etiology of this placentation defect in the mouse and arrive at somewhat different conclusions (5, 6).
Concurrent Trajectory and Vehicle Optimization: A Case Study of Earth-Moon Supply Chain Logistics

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate an integrated system design optimization approach for space system networks. The decisions made during the initial design phases for a complex system, will drastically afiect the flnal product at the architectural level. Traditionally, the design process for a complex system involves the sequential design of the sub-system components, which may lead to a sub-optimal system design. In systems with a high degree of sub-system coupling, the ordering of the sub-system design decisions indirectly determines the priority of the sub-systems to the system. In addition, with the announcement of the space exploration initiative, the goal is to design a sustainable space exploration system that can accomplish multiple missions in an environment of uncertainty. As such, we can no longer consider each mission separately, and therefore must integrate the multiple missions into the initial design of the system. By viewing the set of missions as an integrated space network, we add another sub-system to the system design space. A systems level solution to this problem requires that the network, the vehicle, and the trajectory design, be considered concurrently. To illustrate a concurrent design optimization methodology, this paper considers the design of an Earth-Moon supply chain. Speciflcally, we consider the problem of delivering cargo units of water from low Earth orbit to lunar orbit and the lunar surface. The formulation requires that the architectural characteristics of the vehicle used to transport the packages to the destinations and the paths the vehicles travel be determined concurrently. The problem is solved using both traditional design optimization methods and a concurrent design optimization method. The vehicle optimization and concurrent optimization both achieve a minimum system mass of 58,768 kg for a single vehicle design, which is an improvement of 114,070 kg from the network optimization solution. The system objective is further reduced to 47,498 kg when multiple vehicles are designed. Initial investigations into the sensitivity of the solution to changes in demand reveal that the minimum system mass is obtained when direct routes to the demands nodes are travelled.
Analysis and simulation tools for wind engineering

This paper examines state-of-the-art analysis and simulation tools for applications to wind engineering, introduces improvements recently developed by the authors, and directions for future work. While the scope of application extends to a variety of environmental loads (e.g. ocean waves and earthquake motions), particular reference is made to the analysis and simulation of non-Gaussian features as they appear in wind pressure fluctuations under separated flow regions and non-stationary characteristics of wind velocity fluctuations during a gust front, a thunderstorm or a hurricane. A particular measured non-Gaussian pressure trace is used as a focal point to connect the various related topics herein. Various methods of non-linear system modeling are first considered. Techniques are then presented for modeling the probability density function of non-Gaussian processes. These include maximizing the entropy functional subject to constraints derived from moment information, Hermite transformation models, and the use of the Kac-Siegert approach based on Volterra kernels. The implications of non-Gaussian local wind loads on the prediction of fatigue damage are examined, as well as new developments concerning gust factor representation of non-Gaussian wind loads. The simulation of non-Gaussian processes is addressed in terms of correlation-distortion methods and application of higher-order spectral analysis. Also included is a discussion of preferred phasing, and concepts for conditional simulation in a non-Gaussian context. The wavelet transform is used to decompose random processes into localized orthogonal basis functions, providing a convenient format for the modeling, analysis, and simulation of non-stationary processes. The work in these areas continues to improve our understanding and modeling of complex phenomena in wind related problems. The presentation here is for introductory purposes and many topics require additional research. It is hoped that introduction of these powerful tools will aid in improving the general understanding of wind effects on structures and will lead to subsequent application in design practice.
New drug targets for alcoholic liver disease

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) represents a spectrum of disorders, ranging from simple steatosis to severe alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. The severe form of ALD comprises multiple problems in the liver, including inflammation, hepatocellular damage, fibrosis, and impaired liver regeneration, and likely requires combinational therapies. In this review, we discuss recently identified therapeutic targets that inhibit inflammation, ameliorate hepatocyte death, and promote liver repair in ALD, with a focus on our recent studies on the immunosuppressive drug prednisolone and the hepatoprotective cytokine interleukin-22. Clinical trials examining prednisolone plus interleukin-22 therapy for severe alcoholic hepatitis are currently under consideration.
An empirical model of the tidal currents in the Gulf of the Farallones

Abstract Candela et al. (1990, 1992) showed that tides in an open ocean region can be resolved using velocity data from a ship-mounted ADCP. We use their method to build a spatially varying model of the tidal currents in the Gulf of the Farallones, an area of complicated bathymetry where the tidal velocities in some parts of the region are weak compared to the mean currents. We describe the tidal fields for the M 2 , S 2 , K 1 , and O 1 constituents and show that this method is sensitive to the model parameters and the quantity of input data. In areas with complex bathymetry and tidal structures, a large amount of spatial data is needed to resolve the tides. A method of estimating the associated errors inherent in the model is described.
Spinal muscular atrophy, John Griffin, and mentorship

Hereditary canine spinal muscular atrophy is an inherited motor neuron disease that occurs in Brittany Spaniels and has remarkable similarities with human spinal muscular atrophy. Both disorders are characterized by proximal limb and truncal muscle weakness of variable severity. Detailed pathological studies indicate that there is early dysfunction of motor neuron synapses, particularly the neuromuscular junction synapse, prior to motor neuron death. This period of synaptic dysfunction may define a critical window of opportunity for disease reversibility in motor neuron disease.
The humoral immune response in marginally and severely magnesium deficient rats

Abstract The effects of severe, moderate, and mild magnesium deficiencies on plasma proteins, immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and specific antibody response were studied. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 50, 160, 280, and 400 μg magnesium/gram for either three or eight weeks. Eight of the rats were fed the control diet but were pair fed with the 50 μg/gram treatment group. All rats were immunized once with sheep red blood cells. Plasma magnesium levels reflected the dietary levels of magnesium, and bone magnesium highly correlated with plasma magnesium. The severely deficient rats had significantly enlarged spleens, while all other groups were similar to controls. The severe magnesium deficiency significantly decreased total plasma proteins. Additionally, immunoglobulin M and G levels were significantly reduced in the severely deficient rats. The mean log antibody titer for the severely deficient rats was approximately half that of the controls, but was not statistically different from the other dietary groups. Conversely, total plasma proteins were not lowered by the suboptimal levels of magnesium. Immunoglobulin M levels in the marginally deficient animals correlated with their plasma magnesium concentrations, and lower immunoglobulin G levels were found with the moderate magnesium deficiencies. Antibody response was not altered by the suboptimal levels of dietary magnesium.
Detection of conformation types of cyclosporin retaining intramolecular hydrogen bonds by mass spectrometry

Cyclosporin is a family of neutral cyclic undecapeptides widely used for the prevention of organ transplant rejection and controlling viral infection. The equilibrium of conformations assumed by cyclosporin A in response to the solvent environment is thought to play a critical role in enabling good membrane penetration, which improves upon shielding the polarity of the molecule through forming intramolecular hydrogen bonds. However, the distribution of structures and their internal hydrogen bond geometries have not been elucidated thus far across the series of cyclosporins. Herein, we elucidate the conformational heterogeneity of cyclosporins using a set of analytical approaches including ion mobility mass spectrometry, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, and molecular dynamics simulation. Ion mobility measurements reveal a specific conformational distribution for each cyclosporin derivative in a structure-dependent manner. In general, we observe that the more compact conformer is associated with a greater frequency of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Cyclosporin A is populated by structures with an extensive hydrogen bond network that is lacking in cyclosporin H, which is composed predominantly of a single compact conformation. The slower dynamics of cyclosporin H backbone is also consistent with the lack of hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, we find a strong correlation between the steric bulk of the side chain at position 2 of cyclosporin and the distribution of conformers due to differential accommodation of side chains within the macrocycle, and also report a wide range of conformational dynamics in solution.
Expansion of the Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Cell Fraction Yields a Population of Smooth Muscle-Like Cells with Markedly Distinct Phenotypic and Functional Properties Relative to Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Adipose tissue contains a heterogeneous cell population composed of endothelial cells, adipocytes, smooth muscle cells (SMC), and mesenchymal progenitors and stromal cells that meet the criteria put forth by the International Society for Cellular Therapy as defining mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). In this study, we expanded the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of human adipose tissue and characterized the resulting adherent primary cell cultures by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, antigen expression, protein fingerprinting, growth kinetics, in vitro tri-lineage differentiation bioactivity, and functional responses to small molecules modulating SMC-related developmental pathways and compared the results to those obtained with functionally validated MSC cultures. SVF-derived initial cultures (P0) were expanded in a defined medium that was not optimized for MSC growth conditions, neither were recombinant cytokines or growth factors added to the media to direct differentiation. The adherent cell cultures derived from SVF expansion under these conditions had markedly distinct phenotypic and biological properties relative to functionally validated MSC cultures. SVF-derived adherent cell cultures retained characteristics consistent with the SMC subpopulation within adipose tissue--phenotype, gene, and protein expression--that were independent of passage number and source of SVF (n=4 independent donors). SVF-derived cells presented significantly less robust in vitro tri-lineage differentiation bioactivity relative to validated MSC. Expanded SVF cells and MSC had opposite responses to the thromboxane A2 mimetic U46619, demonstrating an unambiguous functional distinction between the two cell types. Taken together, these data support the conclusions that SVF cells expanded under the conditions described in these studies are accurately described as adipose-derived SMC and represent a cellular subpopulation of adipose SVF that is separate and distinct from other classes of adipose-derived cells.
Ultrastructural studies of sperm morphology and sperm—egg interaction in the decapod Callinectes sapidus

Functional and morphological aspects of a brachyuran sperm were examined by light and electron microscopy and by cytochemical methods. The spherical acrosomal region has a PAS-positive acrosomal vesicle and a PAS-negative acrosomal tubule. This region is partially bounded by a lamellated membranous central region and is embedded in a nuclear cup with only its apical cap exposed to the sperm surface. The Feulgen-positive nuclear cup has eight radial arms. These attach to the egg chorion and bring the apical cap and chorion into direct contact. Subsequently the acrosome reaction everts the acrosomal region which penetrates the chorion, forming a cup-shaped depression in the egg plasma membrane. The acrosomal tubule is in direct contact with this membrane and may function in gamete fusion and nuclear entry into the egg cytoplasm. The arms-chorion attachment may involve “attachment substances.” Penetration of the chorion may involve lysins from the sperm.
Solar Thermal Closed-Helium Brayton Cycle With High Temperature Phase-Change Thermal Storage

A 1 MW closed helium Brayton cycle is proposed in this study to eliminate the use of water in solar thermal power plants in arid areas. The power system uses highly concentrated sunlight to generate heat at temperatures around 850 to 900 °C. The heat is used in a closed, helium Brayton cycle and is partly stored in a high temperature phase-change material to provide heat for nighttime use. The energy efficiency of the system is analyzed. Other technical issues are discussed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Optimization of the gel solar pond parameters: Comparison of analytical models

Abstract A number of analytical models have been presented in the contemporary literature to describe and predict the thermal behavior of salt-gradient solar ponds under steady- and unsteady-state conditions. This paper presents a detailed theoretical comparison between three different analytical models proposed to simulate the thermal behavior of solar ponds. These models are slightly modified to represent the gel pond configuration. For experimental comparison, a gel pond constructed at the University of New Mexico, which has been in operation for several years, has been used as the reference pond. The gel pond differs from conventional salt-gradient ponds in that the nonconvective insulating layer is replaced by a transparent polymer gel. Numerical computations have been made to optimize the geometric and operational parameters of the pond using the three different models. The optimum thickness of the nonconvective layer (gel) and the thin upper convective layer (fresh water) and their effects on pond performance at a given ambient temperature, isolation and storage temperature have been calculated using all the models. The three models have also been used to calculate the absorptivity— transmissivity product (ατ), a parameter which represents the transparency of the nonconvective and the upper convective layers combined together. These calculated values have been compared with experimental values as measured through an actual gel layer to test the accuracy of the different models as applied to the gel pond. The results show that, under the same temperature difference between the storage zone and the ambient (20°C) and a yearly average insolation of 250 W/m 2 , the model proposed by Wang and Akbarzadeh predicts an efficiency of approx. 32% as compared to the high values of 37.2 and 39% predicted by the Kooi model and Kaushik and Bansal model, respectively. Under the same conditions, the optimum gel thicknesses predicted by the three models are 62, 55, and 75 cm, respectively.
Micro-Mechanical Modeling of Polymer Based Unidirectional Composites: Use of Bulk Properties of Matrix with the Smeared Crack Model

Traditional approach to micro-mechanical modeling uses in situ properties of ingredients, which are so fitted as to match predictions of the micromechanical analysis with the experimental in-plane shear response of a lamina for a particular value of fiber volume fraction. In situ properties thus derived, cannot, in general, be used with a different fiber volume fraction or a different micromechanical model. The study presented here is based on the premise that micromechanical models should be transparent and rational tools for obtaining composite properties. Therefore, an attempt is made to characterize the composite from the actual properties of the ingredients and accounting for the presence of thermal residual stresses, shear softening and micro cracking in the matrix throughout the loading history. Experimental comparisons show that a micro-mechanical model with a realistic representative volume element (RVE) and diligent accounting of matrix behavior provides good bounds on experimental response with...
Vibrational structure of electronic transitions in conjugated molecules

Abstract A general approach is presented for calculating the vibronic structure (Frank-Condon factors) of electronic transitions in conjugated molecules. Application to the lowest allowed ΠΠ * transition of ethylene, 1,3-cyclohexadiene, 1,3,5-hexatriene, and β-ionone are given.
Proteinases in inflammatory demyelinating disease.

Proteinases are likely to be involved in the generation of the immune response and the tissue injury found in inflammatory demyelination of the CNS and PNS. The mechanisms whereby proteinases effect changes in these disorders are imprecisely understood but may be important in terms of understanding susceptibility, the extent of tissue damage, and possibly as an avenue for therapeutically controlling the disease by inhibition of proteinases. Several recent observations on the role of proteinases in the immune response for antigen processing, B cell activation, production of selected peptides which may have autosensitization potential and in the cytotoxic damage of tissue indicate the importance which proteinases, acting alone, in sequence, or in combination, may have in inflammatory demyelination.
Organizing, ideology, and moral suasion: political discourse and action in a Mexican town.

Recent scholarship on peasant protest has shifted from the speculative analysis of large-scale historical trends to the limited testing of hypotheses to a preoccupation with micro-level analysis of peasant consciousness and decision making. That shift has been salutary, sharpening our attention to the role of people's perceptions in shaping behavior and to the subtle ways in which people act out their discontent; but we still understand too little about the origins of these perceptions and about the ways in which everyday discontent gets transformed into politically viable action. The present paper argues that, while people's perceptions are grounded in their material and social situation and in past experience, they are continuously reshaped in interaction with new experience and with the claims of others. Understanding the role of political discourse in such interactions is essential to understanding popular mobilization.
DOPPLER RADAR SYSTEMS FOR HELICOPTERS

Simple Doppler radar dead-reckoning navigation systems of medium accuracy (l-2%) have recently been developed for helicopters, and are now being applied extensively. Helicopters because of their low cost and large numbers, cannot afford the more sophisticated costly navigation systems used in larger fixed-wing aircraft. Doppler radar navigation systems have many design features that are of particular importance to helicopters. They are self-contained and require no external aids, so that they can operate in remote areas that have no such aids. They require no lengthy warm-up or initialization before take-off, or the use of special alignment tools, and thus meet the scramble requirements of military helicopters. Their navigation accuracy, at helicopter speeds, is comparable to currently available medium performance inertial systems costing two to three times more. Kearfott has developed for the U.S. Army a Lightweight Doppler Navigation System (LDNS) which has the nomenclature of AN/ASN-128. The LDNS weighs under 30 pounds and has a predicted MTBF of over 2000 hours. It has a navigation accuracy of 1.3% (CEP) when supplied with heading from the helicopter’s magnetic compass with an accuracy of one degree (one sigma). The AN/ASN-128 is now in production for the U.S. Army, and for military forces outside the United States. Some modifications have been made to the LDNS to meet specific requirements of these nations, including software and hardware; a typical version of the LDNS will be described in detail to illustrate the performance and flexibility of the basic LDNS design.
Urine osmolality and -aminolevulinic acid excretion.

A mathematical model for the relationship between urine osmolality and δ-aminolevulinic acid (DALA) in the urine has been developed from a study of three populations exposed to environmental levels of lead and two populations exposed to industrial levels of lead. The equation derived from the model indicates that urine DALA is principally a function of urine osmolality when the level of lead exposure, as reflected in the urine lead, is below a threshold level. Urine DALA becomes principally a function of lead exposure when another critical level is reached. By considering the influence of urine osmolality, urine DALA becomes a more sensitive means of measuring the effect of environmental levels of lead on populations.
Design of Athermal Folded Arrayed Waveguide Grating with External Mirror

A folded AWG design tolerant to angular misalignments of external folding mirror is proposed. We demonstrate a hybrid implementation of athermal AWG with 10-fold reduction (~0.09 GHz/°C) of temperature shift of central wavelength.
Barriers and opportunities for recruitment for nonintervention studies on HIV risk: Perspectives of street Drug users

This study used focus-group discussions in response to a video vignette to examine attitudes toward recruitment for nonintervention research involving HIV testing. Participants were 100 ethnically diverse, economically disadvantaged urban drug users, who were recruited from New York City and Hartford, Connecticut in the spring and summer of 2006. Content analyses revealed themes including (1) fears of stigma and legal trouble balanced by trustworthiness of the recruiter; (2) fears of learning one's HIV status balanced by prospects for health benefits, and (3) the right to receive fair monetary compensation balanced by risks of coercion during periods of cravings. Limitations and implications for recruitment practices have been discussed here.
Surface anharmonicity: Temperature dependence of phonon energies on Cu(110)

Abstract The temperature dependence of surface phonons on Cu(110) has been determined with high resolution electron energy loss Spectroscopy between 21 and 766 K. Phonons at \ gG and at Ȳ, both with atomic motion perpendicular to the surface, have been examined to assess the importance of anharmonicity at the surface. As the temperature is increased the observed phonon energies decrease and the Iinewidths increase. The same percentage decrease is observed at \ gG and Ȳ. A simple model using an anharmonic potential can reproduce the magnitude and shape of the temperature dependence of the phonon at \ gG. Direct comparison with bulk phonon studies shows that the anharmonicity at the surface is 4.1–4.8 times greater.
Achira, the Edible Canna, Its Cultivation and Use in the Peruvian Andes'

iaesticates with a long history in the Andean area is aehira, CGnna edulis Ker., still grow-l in parts of tropical America for its edible rhizomes. This plant has also been used as a stock feed and commiiercial source of starch in parts of Australia, Africa, and Asia, but only in the Western Hemiiisphere has it been found intimiiately associated with the agriculture of "folk societies" (6). Known fronm the Antilles to Argentina, the growing, of edible cannia is no longer generally comimonindeed if it ever was-and today appears to have its most intensive center of cultivation in the upper Apurimiiac River valley of Peru. Most of the fifty or so species in the genus Ganna have fleshy rhizomnes, an(l several have beeii used as a. source of food.: (7). Besides the domesticated Canna edulis Ker., mian has
Unique attractant-toxicant system to control stable fly populations.

Fiberglass panels treated with a pyrethroid compound (permethrin, (3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl cis trans- (±)-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate)) at a rate of 2.5 g/m2 successfully reduced indigenous populations of Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) by 84–90% in 7–8 days in field trials. It was calculated that the units removed more than 30% of the adult population per day from the environment when they were used at a rate of 1 unit/5 domestic animals.
Intravenous gammaglobulin‐associated acute renal failure

Intravenous gammaglobulins are used for the treatment of various auto-immune hematological disorders. Renal failure is a relatively rare, but an increasingly recognized side effect of gammaglobulin therapy. Although the renal failure is usually reversible, renal replacement therapy is required occasionally. A high index of suspicion, early recognition and appropriate intervention can prevent this complication. We herewith describe two patients with an immune hematological disorder, who developed acute renal failure after treatment with intravenous gammaglobulins. A brief review of the possible risk factors, pathophysiology and management of this complication is provided.
Cardiac tamponade in the "new device" era: evaluation of 6999 consecutive percutaneous coronary interventions.

Abstract Background The incidence of cardiac perforation and pericardial tamponade appears to be increasing in the era of new coronary interventional devices compared with coronary balloon angioplasty. Methods and Results We reviewed 6999 consecutive percutaneous coronary interventions performed during 1994 to 1996 in a single urban university hospital catheterization laboratory. Data had been collected prospectively as part of an ongoing quality assurance program. Fifteen patients had cardiac tamponade within 36 hours of the procedure. Only 6 of these occurred during the interventional procedure; the others occurred 2 to 36 hours later. The median patient age was 72 years. Nine (60%) patients were female. Three patients received abciximab. Five perforations were at the target coronary artery site, 3 were caused by a guide wire tip in the distal part of the target artery, and 7 represented right ventricular perforations caused by a temporary pacemaker wire. Five of the 7 right ventricular perforations occurred during rotational atherectomy procedures. Diagnosis was aided by immediate echocardiography. Treatment was medical, including pericardiocentesis, in 6 cases. The other 9 patients required surgical drainage and repair. All patients survived the index hospitalization. At 18-month follow-up, 1 patient had died, and all others were without apparent sequelae. Conclusions Tamponade after percutaneous coronary intervention is not rare in the "new device" era (overall incidence 0.2%); tamponade after percutaneous coronary intervention is often delayed and may occur outside the catheterization suite; patients are more likely to be female and elderly; immediate echocardiography is an essential aid to diagnosis and prompt treatment; and the use of temporary right ventricular pacing catheters must be reexamined. (Am Heart J 2000;140:279-83.)
Effects of phased array structure deformation and element outage

The problem of maintaining a high-performance phased array radar antenna is discussed. Special emphasis is placed on the performance assessment of an airborne phased array radar antenna relative to effects of structure deformation and element outage. Initial discussions are on relevant radar performance evaluations relating to antenna characteristics on the radar system level functional requirements. Major problem areas of maintaining an airborne phased array radar antenna are identified. These include antenna structure deformation due to thermal and vibration environments and array element outages. Results of computer simulations of these effects are summarized. Some considerations for developing an effective maintenance strategy for a high-performance radar antenna are also presented. >
Oral Contraceptive Use and Risk of Breast, Cervical, Colorectal, and Endometrial Cancers: A Systematic Review

Oral contraceptives may influence the risk of certain cancers. As part of the AHRQ Evidence Report, Oral Contraceptive Use for the Primary Prevention of Ovarian Cancer, we conducted a systematic review to estimate associations between oral contraceptive use and breast, cervical, colorectal, and endometrial cancer incidence. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Study inclusion criteria were women taking oral contraceptives for contraception or ovarian cancer prevention; includes comparison group with no oral contraceptive use; study reports quantitative associations between oral contraceptive exposure and relevant cancers; controlled study or pooled patient-level meta-analyses; sample size for nonrandomized studies ≥100; peer-reviewed, English-language; published from January 1, 2000 forward. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted by estimating pooled ORs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included 44 breast, 12 cervical, 11 colorectal, and 9 endometrial cancers studies. Breast cancer incidence was slightly but significantly increased in users (OR, 1.08; CI, 1.00–1.17); results show a higher risk associated with more recent use of oral contraceptives. Risk of cervical cancer was increased with duration of oral contraceptive use in women with human papillomavirus infection; heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis. Colorectal cancer (OR, 0.86; CI, 0.79–0.95) and endometrial cancer incidences (OR, 0.57; CI, 0.43–0.77) were significantly reduced by oral contraceptive use. Compared with never use, ever use of oral contraceptives is significantly associated with decreases in colorectal and endometrial cancers and increases in breast cancers. Although elevated breast cancer risk was small, relatively high incidence of breast cancers means that oral contraceptives may contribute to a substantial number of cases. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(11); 1931–43. ©2013 AACR .
Managing price risks in the Pakistan wheat market

The government intervenes in the wheat market in Pakistan to ensure food security for consumers and to provide adequate and stable incomes for producers. The cost of this intervention is high, and its impact on the performance of agriculture has been significantly negative. The World Bank is urging policy changes such as removing agricultural trade restrictions, price supports, and subsidies. However, policymakers often resist such reforms, fearing that they will expose the domestic market to fluctuating international commodity prices. This article assesses the risk management needs of the sector and evaluates whether using financial instruments, such as commodity hedging using futures, options, or swaps, will improve risk management. Simulations based on monthly data for 1994 show that market-based methods of risk management could reduce the impact of international price volatility on the domestic market without incurring high government cost or distorting price signals.
Periodic naltrexone and propensity to take alcoholic beverage.

For over 2 months, 45 rats were maintained on a daily regimen involving 2 hr a day of access to both water and a palatable alcoholic beverage. At first, they took little ethanol. As days progressed, they eventually took over 2 g/kg of ethanol during the 2 hr. Previous research indicates that, without intervention, they would maintain this level of intake indefinitely. All rats were taken off the daily regimen for 30 days and then returned to it, i.e., rats received 30 days of “abstinence.” For 35 days following abstinence, one-third of the subjects received placebos daily, one-third received naltrexone (NTX), 10 mg/ kg, daily, and the one-third received NTX on days l-5, ll-15,21-25, and 3135 and placebos on the other days. Abstinence reduced all rats' intakes of alcohol compared with pre-abstinence levels. Rats that received only placebos quickly returned to taking alcohol at pre-abstinence levels. Rats that received NTX daily increased their intakes up to the level normally expected for receiving NTX and no abstinence. Because rats receiving daily NTX always drank a fraction of the alcohol consumed by those receiving placebos, NTX's effects did not diminish. As rats sampled alcoholic beverage, however, the effects of abstinence did diminish. The rats of periodic NTX drank as rats getting NTX when they were given NTX and as rats getting placebos when they were given placebos. Furthermore, the rats of periodic NTX showed no carry-over effects from periods of NTX to no NTX. Abstinence and NTX together, apparently, reduce propensity to take alcoholic beverage more than either alone.
MYTH, TEXT, AND INTERACTION COMPLICITY IN THE NEGLECT OF BLUMER'S MACROSOCIOLOGY

This article depicts a major line of assessment of the work of Herbert Blumer as constituting a series of myths. Portrayals of his work as subjectivistic and ideographic combine with the predominant myth that Blumer ignored issues of large-scale organization and social structure. Documentation of his analyses of corporate power relations, racial stratification, and industrialization and industrial organization reveals the mythical character of much published opinion regarding his work. The micro-macro distinction is an ideology within which these myths have been created and perpetuated. Interactionists who have benignly bought into that ideology contribute to the myth of Blumer's neglect of societal organization. In closing it is suggested that greater attention needs to be given to the influence of Robert Park on Blumer's perspectives and that such an assessment might contribute to a broadening of the base of symbolic interactionism.
Organizing Police for the Future: An Update of the Democratic Model

Dr. Angell has suggested that the conventional police organizational design has been responsible for problems in police and community relations, police morale and the coordination of police operations. He proposed a participatory community-based, collegial, police organizational structure called the "Democratic Model." In this article, he discusses ways to improve the original model and the impact of the original model.
Structurally preserved sphenophytes from the Triassic of Antarctica: reproductive remains of Spaciinodum.

Abstract Permineralized cones found organically attached to Spaciinodum collinsonii stems are described from the early Middle Triassic silicified flora from the Fremouw Formation of Antarctica, and the species diagnosis is emended to include the reproductive specimens. The apical cones are organized into internodal and leaf-bearing nodal regions. Nodal septations span the central pith and cortex, and thin fimbrils subdivide the internodal areas into smaller chambers. The vascular system consists of 31–33 continuous bundles that do not alternate in position between successive nodes and internodes. Simple sporangia are associated with the cortical chambers and occur in one whorl on the axis. Spores are small, lack elaters, and have no discernible ultrastructure preserved, and they are interpreted to be immature. The Antarctic cones are different in structure from typical cones of modern and fossil members of Equisetales; however, they share similarities with some morphologically aberrant cones of extant Equisetum and several Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic compression–impression fossils. Spaciinodum is now the most complete anatomically described Mesozoic sphenophyte.
Semantic feature selection for object discovery in high-resolution remote sensing imagery

Given its importance, the problem of object discovery in High-Resolution Remote-Sensing (HRRS) imagery has been given a lot of attention by image retrieval researchers. Despite the vast amount of expert endeavor spent on this problem, more effort has been expected to discover and utilize hidden semantics of images for image retrieval. To this end, in this paper, we exploit a hyperclique pattern discovery method to find complex objects that consist of several co-existing individual objects that usually form a unique semantic concept. We consider the identified groups of co-existing objects as new feature sets and feed them into the learning model for better performance of image retrieval. Experiments with real-world datasets show that, with new semantic features as starting points, we can improve the performance of object discovery in terms of various external criteria.
Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Response to and Volatilization Rates of Grandlure When Combined with Varying Doses of Eugenol in the Extended-Life Pheromone Lure

Boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), trapping and pheromone quantitative analysis of extended-life pheromone lures manufactured with 0, 10, 20, and 30 mg of eugenol was conducted in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas under spring and summer conditions. Boll weevils responded positively to eugenol on one of 12 trapping weeks when densities were high, but when densities were low ( 30°C, accumulative grandlure loss per week may be too high, leaving too little residual grandlure to effectively attract boll weevils at the end of 3 wk of trapping. Eugenol plays no role in reserving or encouraging the release of grandlure, or in increasing boll weevil captures when boll weevil densities are low.
Under the Shadow of Nationalism: Politics and Poetics of Rural Japanese Women

Under the Shadow of Nationalism: Politics and Poetics of Rural Japanese Women. Mariko Asano Tamanoi. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1998. 273 pp.
A recurrent neural network approach to virtual environment latency reduction

One of the most notable problems facing current virtual environment applications is the perceptible latency that is experienced by the user as a result of head-tracking device lag. Such perceptible latency has been shown to have undesirable effects on users of virtual environments, including a lack of accuracy during tracking tasks, motion sickness, and loss of immersion. In this paper, we present a recurrent neural network system designed to predict future angular velocity of the human head from current angular velocity data. These predictions can be used to supplement head tracking in virtual environments to reduce latency and increase tracking accuracy, thus enhancing the user's performance and comfort. We demonstrate that the recurrent neural network system is capable of predicting future angular velocity with a high degree of accuracy. In addition, when compared with the current extrapolation methods built into head-tracking devices, we show that the neural network system tends to produce increased accuracy.
Space-frequency adaptive processing (SFAP) for RFI mitigation in spread spectrum receivers

In this paper, the performance of a space-frequency adaptive processor receiving a spread spectrum like communications signal in strong RFI environment is studied. The interfering scenario consists of wideband as well as narrowband jammers. It is shown that for these types of interference scenarios, one can improve the performance of narrowband SFAP by windowing the time domain samples before transforming the samples to the frequency domain. It is also demonstrated that one needs to carry out some sample overlapping in SFAP to achieve the optimum performance.
Graphics, bifurcation, order and chaos

Chaos theory involves the study of how complicated behaviour can arise in systems which are based on simple rules, and how minute changes in the input of a system can lead to large differences in the output. In this paper, bifurcation maps of the education Xt+1=αλXt [1+Xt] -β, where α= 1 or α=e-Xi, are presented, and they reveal a visually striking and intricate class of patterns ranging from stable points, to a bifurcating hierarchy of stable cycles, to apparently random fluctuations. The computer-based system presented is special in its primary focus on the fast characterization of simple “chacs equation” data using an interactive graphics system with a variety of controlling parameters.
Implicit Online Learning

Online learning algorithms have recently risen to prominence due to their strong theoretical guarantees and an increasing number of practical applications for large-scale data analysis problems. In this paper, we analyze a class of online learning algorithms based on fixed potentials and non-linearized losses, which yields algorithms with implicit update rules. We show how to efficiently compute these updates, and we prove regret bounds for the algorithms. We apply our formulation to several special cases where our approach has benefits over existing online learning methods. In particular, we provide improved algorithms and bounds for the online metric learning problem, and show improved robustness for online linear prediction problems. Results over a variety of data sets demonstrate the advantages of our framework.