cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurological outcomes and cure rates of embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations with n-butyl cyanoacrylate or Onyx: a meta-analysis

Background In the past decade, preoperative endovascular embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) became an essential tool in the treatment of these entities. With the current expansion of technology and wide incorporation of new devices, the indications for the use of endovascular embolization have expanded to include embolization for cure. This has been facilitated by the wide use of the new liquid embolic agents (ethylene-vinyl alcohol co-polymer (EVOH)) in addition to n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA). The aim of this study was to review the current published literature for these two agents and report on permanent neurological injuries and cure rate. Methods Published literature citing embolization results for AVMs using liquid embolic agents was reviewed. Papers reporting on permanent complication rates and complete angiographic cure were reviewed. A meta-analysis was performed based on these two variables for the two embolic agents. Results 103 studies met the selection criteria. Poor neurological outcomes for NBCA and EVOH were 5.2% and 6.8%, respectively (OR 1.4; p=0.56). AVM complete obliteration rate was seen in 13.7% in the NBCA group and in 24% in the EVOH group (OR 1.9). This OR decreased to 1.35 in the subgroup analysis for patients treated after the year 2000. Conclusions NBCA continues to have a trend towards lower permanent complication rates, but EVOH had higher angiographic cure rates. The recent literature has demonstrated an increase in the cure rate of AVMs with endovascular embolization techniques yet with a possible increase in permanent neurological deficits and mortality.
Between Two Worlds

Lynton Keith Caldwell can fairly be considered the dean of American political scientists concerned with environmental issues. He has published many books on various aspects of environmental politics and policy and has had an influential role in the development of environmental legislation in the United States. This most recent book is different from his others, however, for it presents a philosophical and personal summary of the extent of the environmental crisis he perceives to be facing the world, and what he believes is required to avoid the plight he sees as near at hand. Lynton Keith Caldwel can fairly be considered the dean of American political scientists concerned with environmental issues. He has published many books on various aspects of environmental politics and policy and has had an influential role in the development of environmental legislation in the United States. This most recent book is different from his others, however, for it presents a philosophical and personal summary of the extent of the environmental crisis he perceives to be facing the world, and what he believes is required to avoid the plight he sees as near at hand. Writing in the style of an extended essay or memoir, Caldwell takes the reader gradually through his deeply troubled analysis of how we came to the present situation. In his view, “modern society has reached a point in time and circumstance when its customary behaviors can no longer be continued. New ways of relating to the Earth have become necessary, and so the world is passing through a historical discontinuity.” He proceeds in a deceptively calm manner, avoiding inflammatory language, to present a radical view of what he believes is necessary to bring about a different world that “must be created if civilization, and perhaps humanity, are to survive.”
A high-affinity calcium-stimulated ATPase activity in the hen oviduct shell gland

Abstract The hen oviduct shell gland is a highly active calcium-transporting epithelial tissue which is responsible for the mineralization of the egg shell. We have identified a calcium-stimulated ATPase present at high specific activity in membrane preparations from shell gland mucosal shavings. In the presence of optimal MgCl 2 (5 m m ) and a Ca 2+ buffer, ATP hydrolysis was stimulated by addition of low concentrations of free Ca 2+ ( K 0.5 ~0.4 μm ); but not by similar concentrations of Mn 2+ , Zn 2+ , Co 2+ , or La 2+ . This stimulation was specific for ATP; there was little or no effect of Ca 2+ on hydrolysis of ADP, AMP, GTP, ITP, or p -nitrophenyl phosphate. Calcium-stimulated ATPase activity was inhibited by chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine, and quercetin, as well as by sulfhydryl-blocking agents, but not by oligomycin or ouabain. No significant effect of calmodulin was observed. Finally, low concentrations of free Ca 2+ (10 to 100 μ m ) in the presence or absence of Mg 2+ stimulated transfer of 32 P from [γ- 32 P]ATP to a 105,000 molecular weight shell gland membrane protein. This phosphoprotein was sensitive to hydrolysis by heating or by hydroxylamine treatment at acidic pH, and its formation was not inhibited by addition of K + . The specific activity of Ca 2+ -ATPase in total membrane preparations from laying hen shell gland ranged from 80 to 150 nmol/min/ mg protein, similar to or greater than levels found in purified plasma membrane fractions from a variety of tissues. No significant activity was found in membrane preparations from the magnum or isthmus regions of the oviduct, which are not involved in egg shell calcification. The characteristics of the Ca 2+ -ATPase, its high specific activity, and its preferential localization in the shell gland region of the oviduct suggest a role for an ATP-dependent calcium transport system in egg shell mineralization.
Asian Americans in community-based substance abuse treatment: Service needs, utilization, and outcomes

The objectives of this study were to examine differences in substance abuse treatment needs, treatment utilization, and outcomes between Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and others. Data were collected from 452 AAPI and a matched sample of 403 non-AAPI who were admitted to 43 drug treatment programs across California. A subset of these participants was assessed at 3 months (n = 112) and 9 months (n = 140) after treatment admission. Differences in pretreatment characteristics, treatment retention and completion, services received, and treatment outcomes were examined. AAPI presented to treatment with lower alcohol and drug severity lower than the comparison group and similar problem severity in other domains. There were no group differences in treatment retention, but AAPI received a greater number of legal services and fewer medical and psychiatric services than the comparison group. AAPI also received fewer total services within their treatment program. Treatment outcomes were similar between the two groups, with one exception: AAPI demonstrated better alcohol outcomes than those in the comparison group.
Pipe-Dependent Ventral Processing of Easter by Snake Is the Defining Step in Drosophila Embryo DV Axis Formation

Summary The establishment of Drosophila embryonic dorsal-ventral (DV) polarity relies on serine proteolytic activity in the perivitelline space between the embryonic membrane and the eggshell [1]. Gastrulation Defective cleaves and activates Snake, which processes and activates Easter, which cleaves Spatzle to form the activating ligand for the Toll receptor. Ventral restriction of ligand formation depends on the Pipe sulfotransferase, which is expressed in ventral cells of the follicular epithelium surrounding the developing oocyte [2]. Pipe modifies components of the developing eggshell to produce a ventral cue embedded in the vitelline membrane [3]. This ventral cue is believed to promote one or more of the proteolysis steps in the perivitelline space. By examining the processing of transgenic, tagged versions of the perivitelline proteins during DV patterning, we find that the proteolysis of Easter by Snake is the first Pipe-dependent step and therefore the key ventrally restricted event in the protease cascade. We also find that Snake and Easter associate together in a complex in both wild-type and pipe mutant-derived embryos. This observation suggests a mechanism in which the sulfated target of Pipe promotes a productive interaction between Snake and Easter, perhaps by facilitating conformational changes in a complex containing the two proteins.
Che Guevara, Paulo Freire, and the Politics of Hope: Reclaiming Critical Pedagogy

Over the past several years, there has been a renewed interest in the life and teachings of Che Guevara and Paulo Freire among the revolution ary-minded. This renewed interest in Che and Freire is occurring at a time when Left educators are attempting to address the consequences of the globalization of capital and the effects of transnational capital on public education. The educational left's current enthrallment with postmodern the ory has done little to advance the cause of critical pedagogy, especially in the face of the current corporate assault on public schooling. This article argues that a renewed engagement with historical materialist analysis and revolutionary politics is urgently necessary to cut through the equivocations and revisionism of the postmodern Left and develop a critical pedagogy that is able to challenge the devastating effects brought about by the global ization of capitalism. Education workers are encouraged to move beyond mere efforts at reforming institutions of public educatio...
An optical-fiber-based microsensor for explosives detection

A new type of optical chemical sensor recently developed in our lab has been demonstrated for highly sensitive, in-situ detection of explosives. The sensor is comprised of a dense silica thin film grown on the straight-cut endface of a standard, 125μm telecommunication optical fiber. Silicalite is an all-silica MFI-type zeolite with an effective pore size of 0.55nm. MFI zeolite is highly hydrophobic and selectively adsorbs organics of appropriate molecular size. The sensor device operates through measuring the optical refractive index or optical thickness of the coated zeolite film which changes in response to the adsorption of molecular species in its crystalline structure. In this work, the sensor exhibited different responses to simulants including pxylene, o-xylene, and triisopropylbenzene and trinitrotoluene (TNT) trace vapor in helium carrier gas.
Amphibian Transplantation Reactions: A Review

SYNOPSIS. Productive research with three amphibian orders has yielded numerous insightsinto the phylogeny of lymphoid systems, immunoglobulin production and structure, and transplantation alloantigens and the immune responses they elicit. In this review of amphibian transplantation biology, evolutionary significance has been placed on the differential survival rates of first- and second-set grafts in normal and immunosuppressed urodeles, apodans, and anurans. In the absence of a major histocompatibility complex, apodans and urodeles typically reject skin allografts and xenografts chronically; median survival times range from 30 to 55 days. Manyorgans (heart, gonads, pituitaries, eyes) transplanted across the weaker histocompatibility barriers in salamanders survive for longer than a year. Two Diemictylus subspecies, however, reject skin grafts (but not heart grafts) somewhat more vigorously in a subacute fashion. Primitive anurans such as Xenopus also reject skin grafts in this fashion. Only representatives of the phylogenetically advanced Ranidae respond to skin and other organ allografts in an acute fashion comparable to the mammalian response elicited by strong histocompatibility antigens.
Early inflorescence and floral development in Zea diploperennis, diploperennial teosinte

Description de l'ontogenese et du developpement histogenetique des inflorescences mâles et femelles
Effect of Electromagnetic Field on Horizontal Direct Chill Casting of 7075 Aluminum Alloy

The influence of different electromagnetic fields on the horizontal direct chill (HDC) casting of aluminum alloy is studied. 7075 aluminum alloy with 100-mm in diameter is produced by HDC casting process; single electromagnetic field located before or around the mold and an out-phase electromagnetic field (OPEMF) are applied in the HDC casting process. The effect of different electromagnetic fields on the HDC casting solidification behavior and as-cast structure is investigated. The electromagnetic field can effectively make uniform thermal distribution in the molten pool and refine the as-cast structure. The OPEMF is more efficient than the single electromagnetic field in improving the as-cast structure of HDC cast ingots.
RECOVERY FROM ALCOHOLISM: A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

The purpose of this study was to discover the internal aspects of change in persons who are doing well living without alcohol. The heuristic research method, a qualitative phenomenological design, was used to investigate the experience of recovery. Eight recovering alcoholics were interviewed in depth. The process of recovery reflected a mythological journey comprising a departure from the shadowland of drinking, initiation into the world of sobriety, and knowledge gained along the way. New adaptive strategies were acquired, including strengthening the will, training the mind, and exercising spiritual qualities in one's daily life. The profile of doing well in recovery also reflected self-acceptance and an ongoing search for connecting with the transpersonal realm.
Volkmann's ischemic contracture due to soft tissue injury alone

Fifteen upper extremities, in 14 patients in whom incipient or actual Volkmann's ischemic contracture was present, were seen in a 5 year period. Nine patients were stuporous due to drug overdose and had laid on the extremity; two had received a recent injury of main arterial trunks; two had sudden severe compression; one with chronic myelogenous leukemia had each arm involved at different times in a bizarre autoimmune response causing massive swelling. No patient had a fracture or dislocation. Pain and tenderness, loss of sensibility, resistant muscle contracture, and rock-hard muscle compartments were warning signs. Immediate fasciotomy was done. Useful function was restored when treatment was carried out in the early stages of the ischemia.
Fusion chain reaction cycles in p + 6Li fuel

Abstract Propagation chain and chain branching reactions are discussed for p + 6 Li fueled fusion reactors. Safety measures are suggested for potential runaway fusion reactors.
Influence of relative layer height and testing method on the failure mode and origin in a bilayered dental ceramic composite.

Abstract Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of testing method (uniaxial and biaxial) and relative layer heights on the failure origin and failure mode of bilayered ceramic composite beams and disks composed of In-Ceram and Vitadur Alpha porcelain. Methods: Beams and disks were fabricated, with relative layer heights of 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1, respectively, for In-Ceram and Vitadur Alpha porcelain. Ninety specimens each (thirty 1:2, thirty 1:1, and thirty 2:1) were tested in 3-point, 4-point-1/4-point, and biaxial ring-on-ring testing apparatuses. Fractography was used to categorize failure origins as either surface or interfacial, and failure modes as delamination or nondelamination. Results: Surface and interfacial failure origins were observed in 3-point and biaxial disk test specimens, but not 4-point-1/4-point specimens where only surface failures occurred. None of the “clinically similar” specimens (1:2) failed at the interface. All testing methods resulted in delamination of Vitadur Alpha from the In-Ceram, while only 3-point and biaxial disk testing methods resulted in crack propagation through the composite interface without delamination. Significance: Varying relative layer heights or varying testing method in laminate composite tensile specimens can affect failure mode and failure origin.
Modern Racism as a Predictor of the Linguistic Intergroup Bias

Despite the fact that Maass, Salvi, Arcuri, and Semin's linguistic intergroup bias (LIB) seems to be an indicator of prejudice, research has failed to consider whether this phenomenon differs according to people's dispositional level of prejudice. The present study hypothesized that European Americans higher in prejudice against African Americans would demonstrate linguistic abstraction of stereotypical behaviors to a greater degree than EuropeanAmericans who are lower in prejudice. As predicted, high-prejudiced participants described African Americans' stereotypical behaviors in a more abstract fashion, whereas low-prejudiced participants described African Americans' stereotypical behaviors in a more concrete fashion. Because overall negativity of the descriptions was not influenced by level ofprejudice, the LIB appears to be a more subtle measure of prejudice level than degree of negativity.
A comparison of the 1889 and the revised 1903 edition of Somerville and Ross's first novel, An Irish Cousin

In 1903, after the publication of the second volume of the Irish R.M. stories, Edith Œ. Somerville and Martin Ross revised and republished their first novel, An Irish Cousin (1889), under its original name. They reduced it from two volumes to one, made global revisions to the plot, and edited it at the word and sentence level. More interestingly, they modified the representation of the main Irish protagonists of the gothic plot, both landlords and tenants. To date, no extensive comparison between the two editions exists. The 1889 edition is rare, so commentators have relied on the 1903 edition even though they often cite the social context of the first edition. This article compares the two editions and provides explanations for the revisions, examining the authors’ personal and professional reasons for these changes voiced in their published and unpublished letters and diaries within the cultural, social, and political context of the period. The comparison briefly considers the implications of these chan...
Flapless implant surgery to overcome anatomic challenges in the anterior mandible for overdenture therapy: A clinical report

Implant surgery in the atrophic anterior mandible presents a number of anatomic challenges owing to the vascular and neurologic structures related to this region. Flapless implant surgery is known to be a conservative surgical approach that has a number of advantages and disadvantages for both the clinician and the patient. This clinical report describes the use of flapless implant surgery for a 2-implant overdenture in an 89-year-old patient with a severely atrophic mandible and significant anatomic constraints. The insertion of the sublingual artery into the lingual cortex close to the level of the crest of the ridge and the presence of the mental foramen at the ridge crest precluded conventional flap surgery. To overcome these anatomic challenges, a conventional surgical guide was used with careful preoperative treatment planning for a successful flapless implant surgery and subsequent overdenture therapy. The anatomic challenges, surgical and prosthetic treatment planning, choice of simple versus complex interventions, and indications and contraindications of flapless surgery are discussed.
Characterization algorithm for segmented MEMS mirrors

Segmented MEMS mirrors have the potential to revolutionize optical designs for imaging and beam directing systems. Foveated imaging, adaptive optical zoom, and enhanced multi-spectral capability have already been demonstrated at Sandia National Laboratories using MEMS elements. The high stroke and individual segment control with piston and 2-directional tilt is very attractive for these and other applications. To address the challenge of characterizing segmented MEMS mirrors, a novel closed loop optimization algorithm has been developed to drive the mirrors to a desired shape utilizing feedback from a WYKO interferometer. This method has proved to produce more accurate results than previous attempts to drive the mirror with an open loop model.
rac-Dichlorido[3-eth­oxy-3-(1-ethyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo­[1,2-a]benzimidazole]­copper(II)

The title complex, [CuCl2(C21H22N4O)], contains a bis­(benzimidazole) unit with a chiral bridgehead C atom that forms part of a tetra­hydro­pyrrole ring fused to one of the benzimidazoles. The chelate angle is 90.45 (9)° and the dihedral angle between the essentially planar benzimidazole fragments is 26.68 (9)°. The CuII coordination geometry lies approximately midway between tetra­hedral and square planar. Overall, each chiral mol­ecule contains six fused rings, and a racemic mixture is formed with symmetry-related enanti­omers. In the crystal, C—H⋯π and C—H⋯Cl inter­actions link mol­ecules into a supra­molecular chain along the a-axis direction.
Multiplication of tobacco mosaic virus in tobacco leaf palisade cells.

Abstract Sections of palisade cells of Turkish tobacco leaves were examined by electron microscopy at various times after inoculation of the upper epidermis with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Virus particles were first seen in 15-hour samples, and by 48 hours after inoculation very many particles were present as individuals or in semicrystalline aggregates in the cytoplasm. Nuclei appeared normal and no virus particles were seen in or particularly associated with them. Occasionally particles were seen in invaginations or vacuoles in chloroplasts, but this is not thought to imply an active association. Filamentous regions first appearing in the cytoplasm at 15 hours were always associated with infection, but they did not appear to be direct TMV precursors.
No-reference image quality metrics for structural MRI.

Neuroimagery must be visually checked for unacceptable levels of distortion prior to processing. However, inspection is time-consuming, unreliable for detecting subtle distortions and often subjective. With the increasing volume of neuroimagery, objective measures of quality are needed in order to automate screening. To address this need, we have assessed the effectiveness of no-reference image quality measures, which quantify quality inherent to a single image. A data set of 1001 magnetic resonance images (MRIs) recorded from 143 subjects was used for this evaluation. The MRI images were artificially distorted with two levels of either additive Gaussian noise or intensity nouniformity created from a linear model. A total of 239 different quality measures were defined from seven overall families and used to discriminate images for the type and level of distortion. Analysis of Variance identified two families of quality measure that were most effective: one based on Natural Scene Statistics and one originally developed to measure distortion caused by image compression. Measures from both families reliably discriminated among undistorted images, noisy images, and images distorted by intensity nonuniformity. The best quality measures were sensitive only to the distortion category and were not significantly affected by other factors. The results are encouraging enough that several quality measures are being incorporated in a real world MRI test bed.
Diagnosis of clinically unrecognized endobronchial intubation in paediatric anaesthesia: which is more sensitive, pulse oximetry or capnography?

Summary In a prospective, randomized, single-blind study of combined pulse oximetry and capnography in 196 children whose anaesthetic was managed by endotracheal intubation we observed 10 patients with 14 episodes of endobronchial intubation (EBI). Pulse oximetry provided the first diagnostic clue in 13 events; the one event first diagnosed by capnography was also accompanied by oxygen desaturation. Two EBI occurred immediately after the initial intubation (‘primary’ EBI). Twelve episodes of EBI in eight patients occurred after correct initial endotracheal tube position (‘secondary’ EBI). EBI gave rise to eight episodes of ‘minor’ desaturation (oxygen saturation (Spo2) ≤ 95%≥ 60 s); four resulted in ‘major’ desaturation (Spo2≤ 85% for 30 s). Only three EBI events produced clinical signs or symptoms. Seven patients were less than 1 year; EBI was not, however, related to age. A high frequency (5.1%) of clinically unrecognized EBI was found in infants and children. A persistent yet small, reduction in oxygen saturation provided the early evidence of secondary EBI in the majority of cases. Clinical signs and capnography proved least effective in the early diagnosis of secondary EBI.
Four-dimensional dynamic flow measurement by holographic particle image velocimetry

The ultimate goal of holographic particle image velocimetry (HPIV) is to provide space- and time-resolved measurement of complex flows. Recent new understanding of holographic imaging of small particles, pertaining to intrinsic aberration and noise in particular, has enabled us to elucidate fundamental issues in HPIV and implement a new HPIV system. This system is based on our previously reported off-axis HPIV setup, but the design is optimized by incorporating our new insights of holographic particle imaging characteristics. Furthermore, the new system benefits from advanced data processing algorithms and distributed parallel computing technology. Because of its robustness and efficiency, for the first time to our knowledge, the goal of both temporally and spatially resolved flow measurements becomes tangible. We demonstrate its temporal measurement capability by a series of phase-locked dynamic measurements of instantaneous three-dimensional, three-component velocity fields in a highly three-dimensional vortical flow--the flow past a tab.
Informatics center for mouse genomics: the dissection of complex traits of the nervous system.

In recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of tools and techniques available to researchers interested in exploring the genetic basis of all aspects of central nervous system (CNS) development and function. Here, we exploit a powerful new reductionist approach to explore the genetic basis of the very significant structural and molecular differences between the brains of different strains of mice, called either complex trait or quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. Our specific focus has been to provide universal access over the web to tools for the genetic dissection of complex traits of the CNS--tools that allow researchers to map genes that modulate phenotypes at a variety of levels ranging from the molecular all the way to the anatomy of the entire brain. Our website, The Mouse Brain Library (MBL; http://mbl.org) is comprised of four interrelated components that are designed to support this goal: The Brain Library, iScope, Neurocartographer, and WebQTL. The centerpiece of the MBL is an image database of histologically prepared museum-quality slides representing nearly 2000 mice from over 120 strains--a library suitable for stereologic analysis of regional volume. The iScope provides fast access to the entire slide collection using streaming video technology, enabling neuroscientists to acquire high-magnification images of any CNS region for any of the mice in the MBL. Neurocartographer provides automatic segmentation of images from the MBL by warping precisely delineated boundaries from a 3D atlas of the mouse brain. Finally, WebQTL provides statistical and graphical analysis of linkage between phenotypes and genotypes.
3131C--World War II neurosurgery.

Preparation for surgical care of the wounded in a two-theater war was extensive and skillfully organized by Michael DeBakey, one of the prime advisors to the Surgeon General of the Army, and by his colleague, Eli Ginzberg, Ph.D. Some of the ways in which this organization was carried out are described. Although the number of neurosurgeons who can recall any involvement of neurosurgery in World War II is diminishing, there remain a significant number who do remember such involvement, many of whom have helped to provide information for this article.
A review of conduction phenomena in Li-ion batteries

Conduction has been one of the main barriers to further improvements in Li-ion batteries and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the conduction phenomena in Li-ion batteries and enable breakthrough technologies, a comprehensive survey of conduction phenomena in all components of a Li-ion cell incorporating theoretical, experimental, and simulation studies, is presented here. Included are a survey of the fundamentals of electrical and ionic conduction theories; a survey of the critical results, issues and challenges with respect to ionic and electronic conduction in the cathode, anode and electrolyte; a review of the relationship between electrical and ionic conduction for three cathode materials: LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiFePO4; a discussion of phase change in graphitic anodes and how it relates to diffusivity and conductivity; and the key conduction issues with organic liquid, solid-state and ionic liquid electrolytes. © 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Somatic Mutation in Newborns

Maternal exposure to tobacco smoke is known to have deleterious effects on the developing fetus, but it has only recently been shown that there may be life-long consequences due to genotoxic damage. Analysis of newborn cord bloods with the GPA somatic mutation assay demonstrates a significant effect of maternal active smoking and suggests that similar mutational induction occurs in mothers who experience only secondary exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Moreover, in both cases, mutational induction occurs by the same molecular mechanism, likely chromosome missegregation, resulting in an effective loss of one parental chromosome 4 and duplication of the other. These data also suggest that quitting smoking during pregnancy without actively avoiding secondary ETS exposure is not effective at protecting the unborn child from the genotoxic effects of tobacco smoke.
Light passage through leaf litter: variation among northern hardwood trees

Abstract Leaf litter may influence the environment for germination and photosynthesis of seedlings and other small plants through its effects on transmitted light. We measured red : far-red ratios (R/FR) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmitted through individual dead leaves from 10 species of deciduous trees of the northern hardwood region of eastern North America. The leaves were collected from the forest litter between spring snowmelt and canopy budbreak, when irradiances on the forest floor are highest. Mean transmittance of PAR varied among species from about 0.5 to 20% for dry leaves and from about 2 to 38% for wet leaves. Transmittance of PAR was greatest for dead leaves from shade-tolerant late-successional species, least for those from shade-intolerant early-successional species, and intermediate for those from moderately shade-tolerant species. Shade leaves transmitted more PAR than sun leaves of the same species, significantly so for Quercus rubra, Acer saccharum, and Fagus grandifolia. Transmitted R/FR was greater for late-successional species than for early-successional species, especially for shade leaves. These ratios tended to be higher for wet leaves than for dry leaves. Shade leaves tended to have higher ratios of transmitted R/FR than sun leaves of the same species, significantly so for Q. rubra, A. saccharum, and F. grandifolia. Changes in both canopy species composition and the proportion of shade leaves during succession in these forests should bring about concomitant environmental trends toward greater favorability for the germination of seeds or spores needing high R/FR, as well as for photosynthesis by plants that are short enough to be covered by leaf litter.
SV40 large T antigen is modified with O-linked N-acetylglucosamine but not with other forms of glycosylation

SV40 large T antigen has been reported to be modified with several different sugars including N-acetylglucosamine, galactose, and mannose. In this report we have reexamined the glycosylation of T antigen and found that while we could detect modification with N-acetylglucosamine, we could not detect any other sugars on the protein. Surprisingly, even though [3H]galactose could be metabolically incorporated into the protein, analysis showed that all of the radioactivity in T antigen had been converted to other species. The N-acetylglucosamine was demonstrated to be linked to the protein in the form of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine, the best characterized form of nuclear and cytoplasmic glycosylation in mammalian systems. We have localized the major site of glycosylation to the amino terminal portion of the molecule. Analysis of mutated T antigen where serines 111/112 were substituted with alanine suggest that these residues constitute a glycosylation site on the protein. These two serines fall within a typical O-linked N-acetylglucosamine glycosylation site (PSS) and are also known to be phosphorylated. Thus, it is likely that competition between phosphorylation and glycosylation occurs at this site.
GLADDER: combining gesture and geometric sketch recognition

Sketch recognition systems usually recognize strokes either as stylistic gestures or geometric shapes. Both techniques have their advantages. This paper presents a method for integrating gesture-based and geometric recognition techniques, significantly outperforming either technique on its own.
Reducing energy vulnerability

Energy is a strategic resource that has justified as well as influenced the outcomes of wars, fueled as well as strangled economic progress, polluted as well as cleaned up the environment. This paper sheds empirical light on the ideological battleground over energy security policy. Using international data, the paper demonstrates how countries have made distinctive choices affecting the importance of energy as a determinant of economic growth. This paper puts the current debate over oil imports in historical context, considers the relative merits of supply-side and demand-side solutions, and proposes a policy synthesis.
A 1.9-GHz, 1-W CMOS class-E power amplifier for wireless communications

This paper presents a 1-W, class-E power amplifier that is implemented in a 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS technology and suitable for operations up to 2 GHz. The concept of mode locking is used in the design, in which the amplifier acts as an oscillator whose output is forced to run at the input frequency. A compact off-chip microstrip balun is also proposed for output differential-to-single-ended conversion. At 2-V supply and at 1.98 GHz, the power amplifier achieves 48% power-added efficiency (41% combined with the balun).
Evidence for donor strand complementation in the biogenesis of Haemophilus influenzae haemagglutinating pili.

Summary Haemophilus influenzae haemagglutinating pili are surface appendages that promote attachment to host cells and facilitate respiratory tract colonization, an essential step in the pathogenesis of disease. In contrast to other well-characterized forms of pili, H. influenzae haemagglutinating pili are two-stranded helical structures. Nevertheless, haemagglutinating pili are assembled by a pathway that involves a periplasmic chaperone and an outer membrane usher, analogous to the prototype pathway involved in the biogenesis of Escherichia coli P pili. In this study, we performed site-directed mutagenesis of the H. influenzae HifB chaperone and HifA major pilus subunit at positions homologous to sites important for chaperone‐subunit interactions and subunit oligomerization in P pili. Mutations at putative subunit binding pocket residues in HifB or at the penultimate tyrosine in HifA abolished formation of HifB‐HifA periplasmic complexes, whereas mutations at the 214 glycine in HifA had no effect on HifB‐HifA interactions but abrogated HifA oligomerization. To define further the constraints of the interaction between HifA and HifB, we examined the interchangeability of pilus gene cluster components from H. influenzae type b strain Eagan (hifA-hifEEag) and the related H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius strain F3031 (hifA-hifEF3031). Functional pili were assembled both with HifAEag and the strain F3031 gene cluster and with HifAF3031 and the strain Eagan gene cluster, underscoring the flexibility of the H. influenzae chaperone/usher pathway in incorporating HifA subunits with significant sequence diversity. To gain additional insight into the interactive surfaces of HifA and HifB, we aligned HifA sequences from 20 different strains and then modelled the HifA structure based on the recently crystallized PapD‐ PapK complex. Analysis of the resulting structure revealed high levels of sequence conservation in regions predicted to interact with HifB, and maximal sequence diversity in regions potentially exposed on the surface of assembled pili. These results suggest broad applicability of structure‐function relationships identified in studies of P pili, including the concepts of donor strand complementation and donor strand exchange. In addition, they provide insight into the structure of HifA and suggest a basis for antigenic variation in H. influenzae haemagglutinating pili.
Simulation of Silicon Nanowire Transistors Using Boltzmann Transport Equation Under Relaxation Time Approximation

An efficient approach for the simulation of electronic transport in nanoscale transistors is presented based on the multi-subband Boltzmann transport equation under the relaxation time approximation, which takes into account the effects of quantum confinement and quasi-ballistic transport. This approach is applied to the study of electronic transport in circular gate-all-around silicon nanowire transistors. Comparison with the nonequilibrium Green's function method shows that the new method gives reasonably accurate terminal characteristics. We study the influence of silicon body diameter and gate length on the terminal current and subthreshold slope (SS). We have found that the calculated ON current is inversely proportional to the gate length to the power 1/2, and that the silicon body diameter should be smaller than roughly 2/3 of the channel length in order to maintain the SS within 80 mV/dec.
Enzymatic Total Synthesis of Defucogilvocarcin M and Its Implications for Gilvocarcin Biosynthesis

Gilvocarcin V (GV, 4) is the major metabolite of Streptomyces griseoflavus Go 3592 and various other Streptomyces species. GV is usually produced along with its minor congeners, gilvocarcin M (3) and gilvocarcin E (5), that vary with respect to their side chain at the C8-position.[1] Several analogues of GV (for example, 6–8, Scheme 1), which are collectively called the gilvocarcin group of natural products, have been isolated from different Streptomyces species. All of these analogues contain the characteristic, polyketide-derived benzo[d]naphtho[1,2-b]pyran-6-one chromophore, but different C-glycosidically linked sugar units Scheme 1).[2] Members of this group of natural products are well-known for strong antitumor activities,[3] a unique mode of action,[4] and remarkably low toxicities.[2c, 5] However, the inherent poor solubility of these molecules appears to be a major obstacle in their development as therapeutics. The chemical syntheses that have been developed so far are unsuitable for generating a library of analogues,[6] whereas combinatorial biosynthetic efforts have shown more promise.[7] The continued advancement and successful implementation of such combinatorial biosynthetic and mutasynthetic approaches requires an in-depth knowledge of the biosynthetic pathway. Incorporation studies with isotope-labeled precursors[8] and genetic experiments[1a, 8d, 9] have revealed that the benzo[d]naphtho[1,2-b]pyran-6-one chromophore of the gilvocarcins is produced from a polyketide-derived angucyclinone intermediate through a complex oxidative rearrangement process. However, the details of the exact sequence of biosynthetic events and the enzymes that are involved have remained elusive. In this context, we herein report a complete, one-pot, enzymatic total synthesis of defucogilvocarcin M(1), a model compound that contains the unique chromophore common to all members of the gilvocarcin group of natural products.[10] The reconstitution of this pathway then enabled further investigation into the details of the oxidative rearrangement process of GV biosynthesis by systematic variation of the enzyme mixture used. For this approach we suggest the term “combinatorial biosynthetic enzymology”.
Switched resonators and their applications in a dual-band monolithic CMOS LC-tuned VCO

A switched resonator concept, which can be used to reduce the size of multiple-band RF systems and which allows better tradeoff between phase noise and power consumption, is demonstrated using a dual-band voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in a 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS process. To maximize Q of the switched resonator when the switch is on, the mutual inductance between the inductors should be kept low and the switch transistor size should be optimized. The Q factor of switched resonators is /spl sim/30% lower than that of a standalone inductor. The dual-band VCO operates near 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz with phase noise of -125 and -123dBc/Hz at a 600-kHz offset and 16-mW power consumption. Compared to a single-band 1.8-GHz VCO, the dual-band VCO has almost the same phase noise and power consumption, while occupying /spl sim/37% smaller area.
Improved treatment planning for COMS eye plaques.

Purpose A recent reanalysis of the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) medium tumor trial concluded that incorporating factors to account for anisotropy, line source approximation, the gold plaque, and attenuation in the Silastic seed carrier into the dose calculations resulted in a significant and consistent reduction of calculated doses to structures of interest within the eye. The authors concluded that future eye plaque dosimetry should be "performed using the most up-to-date parameters available." The reason these factors are important is attributable to the low energy 125 I radiation (approximately 28 keV) that is primarily absorbed by the photoelectric process. Photoelectric absorption is quite dependent on the atomic composition of the absorbing material. Being 40% silicon by weight, the effective atomic number of Silastic is significantly greater than that of water. Although the AAPM TG43 brachytherapy formalism inherently addresses the issues of source anisotropy and geometry, its parameter that accounts for scatter and attenuation, the radial dose function g(r), assumes that the source is immersed in infinite homogeneous water. In this work, factors are proposed for 125 I that correct for attenuation in the Silastic carrier and scatter deficits resulting from the gold plaque and nearby air. The implications of using 103 Pd seeds in COMS plaques are also discussed. Methods and materials An existing TG43-based ophthalmic plaque planning system was modified to incorporate additional scatter and attenuation correction factors that better account for the path length of primary radiation in the Silastic seed carrier and the distance between the dose calculation point and the eye-air interface. Results Compared with homogeneous water, the dose-modifying effects of the Silastic and gold are greatest near the plaque surface and immediately adjacent to the plaque, while being least near the center of the eye. The calculated dose distribution surrounding a single 125 I seed centered in a COMS 20 mm plaque was found to be consistent with previously published examples that used thermoluminescent dosimetry measurements and Monte Carlo methods. For fully loaded 12 and 20 mm plaques, calculated dose to critical ocular structures ranged from 16%–50% less than would have been reported using the standard COMS dose calculation protocol. Conclusions Treatment planning for COMS eye plaques that accurately accounts for the presence of the gold, Silastic and extraocular air is both possible and practical.
A Predictive Ordered Logistic Regression Model as a Tool for Quality Review of Control Risk Assessments

ABSTRACT: External auditors and management increasingly rely on control risk assessments conducted by internal auditors. Consequently, it is crucial to ensure the quality of such assessments and identify irregular instances that deviate from the normal pattern of assessments. Moreover, processing and prioritizing a large number of outlying internal auditors' assessments can help their superiors as well as external auditors overcome the human limitations of dealing with information overload and direct their investigations toward the more suspicious cases, consequently improving overall audit efficiency. In this paper, we use historic data consisting of control risk assessments procured from the internal audit department of a multinational consumer products company. It is used to infer an ordered logistic regression model to provide a quality review of internal auditors' and business owners' assessments of internal controls. We identify anomalous cases where the assessment does not conform to the expected v...
Analogy-preserving Semantic Embedding for Visual Object Categorization

In multi-class categorization tasks, knowledge about the classes' semantic relationships can provide valuable information beyond the class labels themselves. However, existing techniques focus on preserving the semantic distances between classes (e.g., according to a given object taxonomy for visual recognition), limiting the influence to pairwise structures. We propose to model analogies that reflect the relationships between multiple pairs of classes simultaneously, in the form "p is to q, as r is to s". We translate semantic analogies into higher-order geometric constraints called analogical parallelograms, and use them in a novel convex regularizer for a discriminatively learned label embedding. Furthermore, we show how to discover analogies from attribute-based class descriptions, and how to prioritize those likely to reduce inter-class confusion. Evaluating our Analogy-preserving Semantic Embedding (ASE) on two visual recognition datasets, we demonstrate clear improvements over existing approaches, both in terms of recognition accuracy and analogy completion.
Articular Chondrocytes Produce Factors That Inhibit Maturation of Sternal Chondrocytes in Serum‐Free Agarose Cultures: A TGF‐β Independent Process

Under normal conditions, articular chondrocytes persist throughout postnatal life, whereas “transient” chondrocytes, which constitute the bulk of prenatal and early postnatal cartilaginous skeleton, undergo maturation, hypertrophy, and replacement by bone cells. The mechanisms regulating the markedly different behavior and fate of articular and transient chondrocytes are largely unclear. In the present study, we asked whether articular chondrocytes possess dominant antimaturation properties which may subtend their ability to persist throughout life. Adult chicken articular chondrocytes and transient maturing chondrocytes from the core region of day 17 chick embryo cephalic sternum were cultured or cocultured in serum-free agarose conditions. When the sternal cells were grown by themselves, they quickly developed into hypertrophic type X collagen-synthesizing cells; however, when they were cocultured with as few as 10% articular chondrocytes or fed with articular chondrocyte-conditioned medium, their maturation was markedly impaired, as revealed by a sharp drop in type X collagen synthesis. A similar, albeit less potent, antimaturation activity characterized resting and proliferating immature chondrocytes isolated from other regions of embryonic sternum. Transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) was previously suggested to be an inhibitor of chondrocyte maturation. We found, however, that treatment with a neutralizing antiserum to TGF-β did not counteract the inhibition of maturation in cocultures of articular and maturing core sternal chondrocytes. Indeed, articular chondrocytes produced and accumulated relatively low levels of TGF-β in their culture medium, about 15 ng/ml/48 h, of which over 90% was latent; surprisingly, maturing sternal core chondrocytes accumulated over 10-fold more TGF-β in the medium, about 150 ng/ml/48 h, of which over 20% was endogenously active. These results indicate that articular chondrocytes do possess dominant antimaturation properties which appear to be TGF-β independent. The TGF-βs may thus have a more prominent role in the terminal phases of chondrocyte maturation, as indicated by their abundance and greater activity in hypertrophic chondrocytes.