cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing 360 Video for Immersive Journalism

Journalism has seen tremendous change and 360-degree video, a form of virtual reality (VR), continues to present new ways for audiences to experience and engage with stories. Many journalists see 3...
Jobs and Housing (Im)balance in the San Francisco Bay Area

A lack of affordable housing is a growing crisis for many communities in the US, particularly in urban neighborhoods with constrained housing markets. We discuss the housing imbalance and affordability crisis in the San Francisco Bay Area. Land use regulations are the biggest impediment in restricting housing supply in this robust and booming urban economy. Indirect effects of land use regulations are observed in the loss of housing wealth, greater spatial distribution of people across labor markets, and losses in overall productivity of workers. Specifically, we discuss the dynamics of housing supply and demand in the area to better understand the distribution of home prices and lack of affordable housing as it relates to the jobs-housing imbalance. We discuss various facets of housing demand, including employment, wage, and productivity growth. Finally, we discuss policy interventions that can minimize the adverse effects of the jobs-housing imbalance and promote greater housing affordability.
A Novel Algorithm for Concurrent Charge & Discharge of a Non-Monolithic Battery Energy Storage System

With PV (Photovoltaic) panels and BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) becoming more affordable, consumers are beginning to install these backups systems. Even with decreasing lithium cost, they are still relatively expensive to an average consumer. This is apparent when the system is purchased alongside the PV panels and hardware. Since ad-hoc batteries are too expensive, the systems purchased by consumers are often a combination of several ESUs (Energy Storage Units) connected in parallel. This paper proposes an algorithm that takes advantage of this non-monolithic BESS by allowing for concurrent charge and discharge of the BESS while some ESUs charge and others are discharged. The proposed algorithm also considers the rate capacity effect and charge recovery effect in order to optimize the discharging and charging periods of the BESS. The results show the algorithm is able to effectively charge certain cells while others are discharged, preventing deep DoD (Depth of Discharge) and theoretically increasing the lifespan of the BESS, reducing the overall cost of the system making them affordable and longer lasting to the average consumer. The algorithm is also non-computationally intensive and can be implemented on a low cost controller.
Vulvar carcinoma

Carcinoma of the vulva is an uncommon gynecologic malignancy primarily affecting postmenopausal women. The lesion is most commonly associated with HPV DNA, although, for many, a defined preinvasive to invasive connection is not readily apparent. Most patients experience symptoms of pruritus, irritation, and even pain for weeks or months before the diagnostic biopsy is performed. Patient embarrassment and unfamiliarity and reluctance on the part of the physician to fully evaluate these symptoms add to the delay. Vulvar carcinoma is staged surgically following resection. A concerted effort to conserve as much normal tissue as possible has been the focus of recent investigation. Separate incision resection of the vulvar mass and groin has improved wound healing and quality of life for many patients. The effect these conservative procedures have on long-term survival is currently being evaluated. Increased use of radiation therapy or chemoradiation has allowed organ preservation in many otherwise exenterative cases. In some instances, this neoadjuvant therapy has provided an opportunity to surgically clear otherwise unresectable lesions. Current radiotherapy techniques might also be as effective as groin dissection in certain low-risk patients. Adjuvant radiation and chemoradiation improve local control and reduce groin recurrence risk. In addition, patients with histologically positive groins enjoy longer survival when the pelvis is also treated. Selected use of multimodality therapy will likely extend the lives of women with vulvar cancer.
The Operator Equation Ax — XD2 = — δ0 and Second Order Differential Equations in Banach Spaces

Consider the differential equation $$u''\left( t \right) = Au\left( t \right) + f\left( t \right), $$ (1) where A is a closed linear operator on a Banach space E, with a dense range D(A), and f(t) is a continuous function from R to E. We consider Y = D(A) as a Banach space with the graph norm defined by $$ |||y||| = ||y|| + ||Ay||,y \in Y. $$
Calculation of Initial Vortex Roll-Up in Aircraft Wakes

Melzig, H. D., "The Dynamic Pressure Loading on Parachute Canopies," AIAA Aerodynamic Deceleration Systems Conference, AIAA, Houston, Texas, 1966. Poppleton, E. D., private communication, Univ. of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Karmacheti, Principles of Ideal Fluid Aerodynamics, Wiley, New York, 1966. Wood, R. D., "Pressure Distributions on Parachutes During Inflation," Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Sydney, 1970. Brown, C. E. and Michael, W. H., "On Slender Wings with Leading Edge Separation," TN 3430,1955, NACA. Ibrahim, S. K., "Apparent Added Mass and Moment of Inertia of Cup-Shaped Bodies in Unsteady Incompressible Flow," Ph.D. thesis, University of Minnesota, 1965.
Deep Characterization of the Microbiomes of Calophya spp. (Hemiptera: Calophyidae) Gall-Inducing Psyllids Reveals the Absence of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria and Three Dominant Endosymbionts

Bacteria associated with sap-feeding insect herbivores include not only symbionts that may increase their hosts’ fitness but also harmful plant pathogens. Calophya spp. gall-inducing psyllids (Hemiptera: Calophyidae) are being investigated for their potential as biological control agents of the noxious weed, Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia), in Florida. Although there are no examples of plant pathogen transmission by members of the family Calophyidae, several insects in the superfamily Psylloidea are known to transmit pathogenic bacteria in the genera Candidatus Liberibacter and Candidatus Phytoplasma. To determine whether Calophya spp. harbor potentially harmful plant pathogenic bacteria, we sequenced small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicons generated from individuals from four Calophya spp. populations. All microbial SSU gene sequences fell into the bacterial domain, with 98-99% belonging to the Proteobacteria. The Calophya microbiomes contained a relatively simple community, with 49-79 operational taxonomic units (OTUs; 97%) detected, and only 5-8 OTUs with greater than 1% abundance. Candidatus Carsonella showed the highest relative abundance, with OTUs from this candidate genus representing between 51 – 65% of all recovered sequences. The next most abundant clade observed was an unclassified Enterobacteriacae group closely related to bacteria from the genera Buchnera and Blochmannia that ranged from 20-31% in relative abundance. Wolbachia populations were the third most abundant group and represented 7-27% of the diversity in microbial OTUs. No SSU rRNA gene sequences from putative pathogenic bacteria from the genera Ca. Liberibacter or Ca. Phytoplasma were detected in the microbiomes of the four Calophya populations. The probability that infected psyllids were present in our colonies, but were not sampled, was extremley low (1.39 x 10-10). As far as we are aware, our study is the first to characterize the microbiome of a candidate biological control agent, and coupled with previous work demonstrating a high degree of host specificity and absence of plant viruses, suggests that releasing Calophya spp. in United States poses minimal risk to non-target plants.
Semantic communication for simple goals is equivalent to on-line learning

Previous works [11, 6] introduced a model of semantic communication between a "user" and a "server," in which the user attempts to achieve a given goal for communication. They show that whenever the user can sense progress, there exist universal user strategies that can achieve the goal whenever it is possible for any other user to reliably do so. A drawback of the actual constructions is that the users are inefficient: they enumerate protocols until they discover one that is successful, leading to the potential for exponential overhead in the length of the desired protocol. Goldreich et al. [6] conjectured that this overhead could be reduced to a polynomial dependence if we restricted our attention to classes of sufficiently simple user strategies and goals. In this work, we are able to obtain such universal strategies for some reasonably general special cases by establishing an equivalence between these special cases and the usual model of mistake-bounded on-line learning [3, 15]. This equivalence also allows us to see the limits of constructing universal users based on sensing and motivates the study of sensing with richer kinds of feedback. Along the way, we also establish a new lower bound for the "beliefs model" [12], which demonstrates that constructions of efficient users in that framework rely on the existence of a common "belief" under which all of the servers in a class are designed to be efficient.
Essays on Economic Growth and the Skill Bias of Technology

Esta tesis doctoral es una coleccion de tres articulos. Los capitulos 1 y 2, co-autorados con Joachim Voth, investigan por que Europa en 1700 ya era mas rico que el resto del mundo y por que Inglaterra fue el primer pais en industrializarse. Encontramos que las dinamicas de la poblacion, en lugar del crecimiento de la productividad, fueron los promotores mas importantes del desarrollo economico de Europa Occidental durante la temprana edad moderna (1450-1700). Calibramos un modelo probabilistico para representar Inglaterra en 1700 y encontramos que ingresos iniciales mas altos unidos a limitaciones de fertilidad aumentaron la probabilidad de industrializacion. En el tercer capitulo, presento un nuevo hecho estilizado y analizo su contribucion al sesgo del cambio tecnologico hacia los trabajadores mas cualificados: El porcentaje de trabajadores cualificados en la produccion intermedia esta altamente correlacionado con la proporcion de trabajo cualificado en la produccion final. Esto genera un efecto multiplicador que refuerza la demanda de trabajo cualificado a lo largo de la cadena de produccion. El efecto es importante, explica mas de un tercio del aumento de la demanda de trabajadores cualificados en la industria manufacturera de EE.UU.
Distribution, clearance, and mortality of environmental pseudomonads in mice upon intranasal exposure

When introduced intranasally, P. cepacia AC1100 (approximately 10(8) CFU/animal) and P. aeruginosa AC869 (approximately 10(3) CFU/animal) were readily cleared from the mouse. However, a approximately 10(7)-CFU dose of AC869 persisted for 14 days. Strain AC869 had a 50% lethal dose of 2.7 x 10(7) CFU. Slight morbidity occurred in animals treated with approximately 10(7) CFU of AC869 or approximately 10(8) CFU of AC1100.
Fracture toughness of thin and tough plates

Abstract : Wells has proposed using crack tip opening displacement as a measure of the fracture toughness of cracked plates in general yielding. The concept is applicable to thin plates loaded to extensive plastic deformation. The method is used to determine the fracture toughnesses of HY-80 steel plates. (Author)
Studies of the complex between transfer RNAs with complementary anticodons. I. Origins of enhanced affinity between complementary triplets.

Abstract We used the temperature-jump method to study the complex between yeast t RNAPheand Escherichia coli tRNAGlu, which have the complementary anticodons GmAA and s2UUC, respectively. The binding constant (3.6 × 105 m −1 at 25 °C) is about six orders of magnitude larger than expected for two complementary trinucleotides. The association rate constant (3 × 106 m −1 at 25 °C) is similar to typical values observed for oligonucleotides, so the enhanced affinity in the tRNA · tRNA complex is due entirely to a much slower dissociation than expected for a three base-pair helix. We found an association enthalpy of −25 kcal/mol, nearly twice as large as expected for two stacking interactions in a three base-pair helix. The association entropy (−58 cal/deg per mol) is close to the expected value. The reaction occurs with a single relaxation, and therefore does not involve any slow reorganization of the tRNA molecule. We studied structural variations to investigate the origin of affinity enhancement. The following general factors are important. (1) The “loop constraint”, or closure of the two anticodon sequences into hairpin loops, accounts for about a factor 50 in the affinity. (2) “Dangling ends”, or non-complementary nucleotides at the end of the double helix contribute strongly to the affinity. (3) Modified nucleotides, like the Y base, in the dangling ends can contribute a special stabilization of up to a factor seven. These observations can be understood in terms of a model in which the short three base-pair helix is sandwiched between stacked bases and hence stabilized. The potential importance of loop-loop interactions and stacking effects for codon-anticodon bonding is emphasized. The results suggest a possible simple physical basis for the evolutionary choice of a triplet coding system.
Generating Internet Streaming Media Objects and Workloads

Characterization and synthetic generation of streaming access workloads are fundamentally important to the evaluation of Internet streaming delivery systems. GISMO is a toolkit for the generation of synthetic streaming media objects and workloads that capture a number of characteristics empirically verified by recent measurement studies. These characteristics include object popularity, temporal correlation of request, seasonal access patterns, user session durations, user interactivity times, and variable bit rate (VBR) self-similarity and marginal distributions. The embodiment of these characteristics in Gismo enables the generation of realistic and scalable request streams for use in benchmarking and comparative evaluation of Internet streaming media delivery techniques. To demonstrate the usefulness of Gismo, we present a case study that shows the importance of various workload characteristics in evaluating the bandwidth requirements of proxy caching and server patching techniques.
Evaluation of a balloon dilator before second-trimester abortion by vacuum curettage

We evaluated the cervical dilator device (CDD), an expanding balloon, as a substitute for laminaria tents before abortion at 13 to 16 1/2 weeks by extraction and vacuum curettage. The CDD was found to be an effective dilator, although it did not appear to have any advantage over laminaria tents when placed overnight and was associated with significant pain upon insertion and an apparent increased risk of endometritis. The present CDD or a subsequent modification may offer advantages over laminaria tents for short-term placement.
Adipocyte Cholesterol Storage: Effect of Experimental Hypercholesterolemia in the Rat

In order to more clearly define the influence of adipocyte size and plasma cholesterol on adipose tissue cholesterol storage, hypercholesterolemia was induced in male Fisher rats at a time when body weight and adipocyte size become fixed. In one experiment (experiment 1), increasing amounts (0, 0.05, 0.5 and 5.0%) of dietary cholesterol were added to a fat-free, purified diet (sucrose-casein-cellulose) fed to 1 year old virgin males. In experiment 2, retired breeder rats were fed 0 or 5% cholesterol, with and without corn oil supplementation of the purified diet. The plasma cholesterol responses (in experiment 1) to the various dietary cholesterol levels were in the order 0 = 0.5 greater than 0.05 greater than 5.0% = stock diet. In experiment 2, however, rats fed cholesterol had higher plasma cholesterol values than those fed the cholesterol-free diet. When total cholesterol concentration per 10(6) adipocytes was examined in four adipose depots, it was found that adipocyte cholesterol content tended to increase with increasing levels of circulating total cholesterol, regardless of the cholesterol content of the diet. The accretion of cholesterol in adipocytes was accompanied by enhanced storage in the esterified form, a response very similar to that of liver in these experiments but unlike skeletal muscle. It is concluded that adipose tissue participates physiologically in the response to hypercholesterolemia in the rat, but that the response may depend upon the nutritional or metabolic state of the animal prior to cholesterol feeding (young rats versus retired breeders) and is not similar in all adipose tissue depots.
The Chemistry of Fruit and Vegetable Flavors

Publisher Summary This chapter presents examples to illustrate the problems involved in attempting to correlate taste with chemical constitution; although there are some general relations that are given for associating odor and taste to constitution, no hard and fast rules can be formulated. There is also the question of individual variations in judging flavor. An unfamiliar substance given to a group for classification of its flavor will elicit a variety of opinions as to what its taste resembles. It is this factor that requires the careful selection of the members of a tasting panel. Most of the fruits and vegetables depend for their flavor on volatile components. The chapter emphasizes the need for more knowledge in this field. Coffee, tea, and cocoa are considered as products of fruits or vegetables and are included in this survey. Several miscellaneous products whose flavoring components have been investigated are discussed in order to bring the information together in one place.
Fundamentals of Radiation Treatment for Prostate Carcinoma – Techniques, Radiation Biology, and Evidence Base

Radiation therapy remains ideally suited for the curative treatment of localized prostate cancer and palliation of metastatic disease. New treatment techniques have been developed and the field has had rapid advances in technology. Brachytherapy (radioactive implants) has undergone changes with the increased use of high dose rate temporary implants. These have resulted in shorter treatment courses for favorable prostate cancer. Combined modality treatment with hormonal therapy has become standard for locally advanced definitive treatment. At the same time surgical and other techniques have also improved making the selection of the optimal management of localized prostate carcinoma difficult for patients and clinicians. There are no conclusive prospective randomized studies demonstrating significant differences in overall survival and freedom from biochemical relapse between surgery and radiation therapy. In this chapter, we provide an overview of radiation biology, different radiation treatment techniques, and the current standard of care for definitive and palliative radiation therapy in prostate cancer.
Semiconductor/Ceramic Nanocomposites: Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties

A survey of the preparation of semiconductor nanocrystal-ceramic nanocomposite materials and related nanostructured materials is provided. Nanocomposite materials described here contain elemental semiconductors (Si and Ge), II–VI and IV–VI semiconductors (ZnE, CdE, and PbE where E = S, Se, Te), and III–V semiconductors (GaE, AlE, and InE where E = N, P, As) embedded in various ceramic matrices. Semiconductor nanocrystals and nanoparticles were prepared using a variety of physical, chemical, and electrochemical synthesis strategies. Sol-gel processing, and single- or multiple-source precursors were used to prepare semiconductor nanoparticles with diameters as small as 2–4 nm or as large as 50–200 nm. Formation of the semiconductor nanophase was carried out by reduction of mixed-metal oxides, pyrolysis of well-characterized precursor molecules or in situ generated precursor complexes, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and electrochemical reduction. Keywords: sol-gel; nanocomposite; nanocrystals; II/VI semiconductor; III/V semiconductor; Si; Ge; single-source molecular precursor
Parser adaptation via Householder transform

We propose a method of adapting a statistical parser using a special orthogonal transform, the Householder transform. Probability mass functions (pmf) in the parser are first mapped to unit sphere, then the Householder transform is applied, which maps a point in unit sphere to another point in unit sphere. The final model is obtained by mapping the transformed point in unit sphere back to simplex through a square map. The proposed method is tested on a semantic parser, and over 20% relative reduction of parse errors can be achieved.
NFATc1 activity regulates the expression of myocilin induced by dexamethasone.

Abstract Mutations in the myocilin gene ( MYOC ) account for 10% of juvenile open-angle glaucoma cases and 3–4% of adult onset primary open-angle glaucoma cases. It is a secreted glycoprotein found in many ocular and non-ocular tissues and has been linked to elevated intraocular pressure. In human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells, MYOC expression can be induced by the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX). In this study we examined the role of the calcineurin/NFATc1 (Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells) pathway in the DEX induction of MYOC in HTM cells. In post-confluent HTM cells treated with either 500 nM DEX or 0.1% ethanol (EtOH; vehicle control) for 0–6 days both protein and mRNA levels of MYOC were increased while DEX was present. The protein and mRNA levels remained elevated for an additional 12 days after the removal of DEX. Only 1 day of DEX treatment was sufficient to trigger a sustained increase in MYOC mRNA that lasted for 4 days after the removal of DEX. Similar to other studies, myocilin protein expression was not seen until the second day of DEX treatment while mRNA increased within one day of DEX indicating that this is a secondary glucocorticoid response. To determine if MYOC gene expression was regulated by calcineurin/NFATc1, HTM cells were pre-treated for 1 h with the calcineurin inhibitors cyclosporin A or INCA-6 prior to the addition of DEX or EtOH for 2 days. NFATc1 siRNA was used to determine if NFATc1 was required for MYOC mRNA expression. Cells were also treated with the ionophone ionomycin to determine if increased cytosolic calcium affected MYOC expression. These studies showed that the DEX induced increase in MYOC mRNA could be inhibited with either cyclosporin A or INCA-6 or by transfection with NFATc1 siRNA and that ionomycin was unable to increase MYOC mRNA. Immunofluorescence microscopy was also performed to determine if DEX caused the nuclear translocation of NFATc1. Immunostaining showed that NFATc1 relocated to the nucleus within 15 min of DEX treatment and remained there for up to 2 h. The data suggest that the DEX-induced increase in MYOC expression activates a calcineurin and NFATc1 pathway in a calcium independent mechanism.
The art of Falconry: a surprising manual of rhetoric

In their searches for examples of rhetorical strategies, students of modern rhetoric frequently overlook writers from the past. In his huge six-book work on the “Art of Falconry” written about 1247–1249, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, a remarkably versatile ruler, an early renaissance man, an empirical researcher, provided numerous excellent examples of rhetorical practices from which students and practicing writers well could learn. This article offers extended examples of definition, contrast, partition, causal analysis, classification, and description, to name but a few.
Tandemly activated tRNAs as participants in protein synthesis

While all studies of protein synthesis to date have employed monoaminoacylated transfer RNAs, there have been reports that bisphenylalanyl-tRNA is formed by Thermus thermophilus phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase. Such tandemly activated tRNAs have now been prepared by chemicoenzymatic techniques and are shown to function in both prokaryotic and mammalian protein synthesizing systems. They exhibit characteristics consistent with their possible utility under extreme conditions in natural systems and have important potential advantages for protein elaboration in cell free systems. Mechanistically, the bisaminoacylated tRNAs bind to the ribosomal A-site and utilize the aminoacyl moiety attached to the 3'-position of the terminal adenosine for addition to the growing polypeptide chain. Following translocation to the P-site and transfer of the formed peptidyl moiety, the donor tRNA dissociates from the ribosome as a monoaminoacylated tRNA capable of functioning in a subsequent polypeptide elongation step.
Advanced drug delivery through an inhaler utilizing a venturi

The current market of inhalers for the delivery of dry powder medication is open to much development. Inhalers of this type facilitate the delivery of large dosages of medication for treatment of chronic obstructive lung diseases and provide a desirable alternative for systemic therapies, historically introduced to the body orally or through direct injection into the blood stream, and current pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDI). [1] Inhalation of a powdered medication provides for quicker distribution throughout the body when compared with the timing it would take for an injection to diffuse through the body or an orally ingested medication to be digested. The use of a dry powder inhaler is also more ergonomic from a customer's viewpoint due to the fact that is requires less steps and limited training to use, compared with current inhaler technologies such as pMDI and nebulizers. [3]
Cerebral functional connectivity and vasomotion: phenomena and separability

Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is based on low-frequency hemodynamic oscillations (LFHO) in the brain. We report that RSFC is independent of vasomotion, another LFHO involving oscillations in blood vessels that is myogenic in origin.
Effects of proton irradiation on triboluminescent materials such as ZnS:Mn

Abstract Research has shown that the fluorescence decay time can be used to measure temperatures in adverse environments, such as those found in space. Development of space-based phosphor sensors will depend heavily upon research investigating the resistance of phosphors to ionizing radiation. Research completed at the Alabama A&M University Center for Irradiation of Materials (CIM) shows that a 3 MeV proton fluence as small as 2.28 × 1013 mm−2 statistically reduces the ZnS:Mn decay time for temperatures less than 200 °C. Reductions in decay time appear to be proportional to increasing 3 MeV proton fluence beyond 2.28 × 1013 mm−2. It is possible that radiation induced dislocations in ZnS:Mn or the formation of sooty carbon in the binder could account for some of these reductions.
VITAMIN A TERATOGENESIS IN A SENSITIVE GENETIC BACKGROUND

The critical event in lip formation is the convergence of the facial prominences. A variety of teratogens are known to interfere with later stages of facial prominence formation, and certain inbred mouse strains are known to be more susceptible to such teratogenic effects. Recently, we observed an otherwise normal child with severe bilateral cleft lip and palate. The mother took 50,000 iu of Vitamin A (one 25,000 iu Aquasol capsule bid) for 20 days between the 3rd and 6th week after conception, and the father had a unilateral cleft lip. To test the hypothesis that this may represent a teratogenic effect in combination with a sensitive genetic background, vitamin A was administered to A/J mice and 2 other inbred strains just prior to normal lip closure. A/J, IlWh, and SWFr mice were given 200 iu per gram vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) by gastric lavage at either 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. on day 9 (equivalent to 26-30 days gestation in the human). The frequency of cleft lip observed was not significantly different from the spontaneous frequency in the A/J strain, but there was a marked increase in the frequency and severity of cleft palate. Other inbred strains were not affected by cleft lip, and there was a less dramatic increase in the incidence of cleft palate in those strains. We conclude that the genetic background of the parents may be an important factor in evaluating risks for teratogenetic outcomes.
Trap cropping, planting date, and cowpea variety as potential elements of an integrated pest management strategy for Lygus hesperus in blackeyed cowpea

Abstract The western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae), is a serious agricultural pest that is increasingly difficult to control in blackeyed cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Walp). In a 2-year field study, we evaluated the potential of three cultural practices as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy for L. hesperus in cowpea. We tested the utility of a trap crop in attracting L. hesperus from cowpea plots, explored the use of alternative planting dates to dissociate insect abundance from sensitive crop phenological periods, and tested the performance of two cowpea varieties of differing growth habits. We hypothesized that trap cropping and a planting date modification would reduce L. hesperus abundance in the crop plots and consequently reduce damage and that the two cowpea varieties would respond differently to L. hesperus pressure. Trap rows hosted more L. hesperus than did cowpea plots in some instances, although this effect did not translate to differences between cowpea plots with and without trap crop rows or to an increase in cowpea yield. Planting date affected L. hesperus abundance and crop yield in both years, although the specific effects of planting date differed between years. Early-planted plots yielded less seed in the first year and more seed in the second year than late-planted plots. The strongest differences in insect abundance patterns over time were measured between the two cowpea varieties and suggest that more upright varieties may be less preferable to L. hesperus than the standard cowpea varieties used today. An IPM strategy for L. hesperus in blackeyed cowpea should incorporate a well-timed planting date and well-chosen cowpea variety. Trap cropping may work to attract L. hesperus from the cowpeas, but this management strategy will require further development to be consistently effective.
Cladistic relationships among higher groups of Heteroptera: congruence between morphological and molecular data sets

The monophyly of the 7 infraorders of Heteroptera and history of higher group concepts and interrelationships within the Heteroptera are briefly reviewed. Data from 31 morphological characters are combined with 669 bases of 18S nuclear rDNA for 29 taxa, including several outgroups to the Heteroptera, to produce a phylogeny based on the total available evidence. The molecular data alone and in conjunction with morphological data indicate that: the Homoptera are probably not monophyletic; the Auchenorrhyncha are the sister group of Coleorrhyncha + Heteroptera ; the Enicocephalomorpha are the sister group of remaining Heteroptera; the Dipsocoromorpha are the sister group of remaining Heteroptera; the Gerromorpha are the sister group of remaining Heteroptera; the Nepomorpha are the sister group of remaining Heteroptera; the Leptopodomorpha are the sister group of the Cimicomorpha + Pentatomomorpha. The molecular evidence corroborates the morphologically based theory of a sister group relationship between Aradoidea and trichophoran Pentatomomorpha. This scheme deviates from that previously published by Schuh, in which the Leptopodomorpha were treated as the sister group of the Nepomorpha.
Effect of ion irradiation in cadmium niobate pyrochlores

Abstract Irradiation experiments have been performed for cadmium niobate (Cd2Nb2O7) pyrochlore single crystals at both 150 and 300 K using 1.0 MeV Au2+ ions over fluences ranging from 0.01 to 0.10 ions/nm2. In-situ 3.0 MeV He+ Rutherford backscattering spectrometry along the 〈1 0 0〉 -axial channeling direction (RBS/C) has been applied to study the damage states ranging from small defect concentrations to a fully amorphous state. Results show that the crystal can be readily amorphized under the irradiation conditions. Room-temperature recovery of the defects produced at 150 K has been observed, while the defects produced at 300 K are thermally stable at room temperature. Results also indicate that the RBS/C analysis used in this study induced negligible damage in the near-surface regime. In addition, irradiation at and below room temperature using He+ and C3+ ions leads to surface exfoliation at the corresponding damage peaks.
Volatile Products From Pyrolysis of Cotton Fabrics Finished With Thps-Urea-Phosphate

Volatile products evolved during the pyrolysis of cotton fabrics treated with various add-ons of THPS-urea-phosphate flame retardant were measured by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry. Molar fractions of nine primary, volatile pyrolysis products were determined, accounting for 82-89 mole percent of the products. Three classes of volatile products were distinguished on the basis of the response of the product fractions to add-on of the flame retardant. Increasing add-on decreased the anhydroglucose fractions. Small add-ons increased the "furan" fractions and large add-ons decreased them. Nonfuel fractions increased with increasing add-on. Inverse relations were found between anhydroglucose fractions and water fractions and between "furan" fractions and carbon dioxide fractions. The flame retardancy of the cotton fabrics had the best correlation with the water fractions. These results are compared and contrasted with data from the pyrolysis of cotton fabrics treated with another flame retardant, THPOH-ammonia.
The "cratic correction" and related fallacies.

The “cratic correction” for removing the contribution of translational motion from standard free energies and entropies of chemical reactions is examined. Although removal of translational effects is useful in interpreting free energy and entropy changes in molecular terms, this particular correction does not do so. No basis for it is found in thermodynamics or statistical mechanics. The appropriate correction for center-of-mass translational motion is derived from classical statistical mechanics. However, the importance of recognizing the proper molecular meaning of the remaining free energy is stressed. In any case, this latter correction, however legitimate, is shown to be futile, since it has long been recognized from classical statistical mechanics that all terms involving momenta (thermal wavelength terms) —be they classified as translational, rotational, vibrational, or whatever—necessarily cancel out informing the standard free energy change of any chemical reaction from the constituent standard chemical potentials. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On Explaining Knowledge of Necessity

Moderate rationalists maintain that our rational intuitions provide us with prima facie justification for believing various necessary propositions. Such a claim is often criticized on the grounds that our having reliable rational intuitions about domains in which the truths are necessary is inexplicable in some epistemically objectionable sense. In this paper, I defend moderate rationalism against such criticism. I argue that if the reliability of our rational intuitions is taken to be contingent, then there is no reason to think that our reliability is inexplicable. I also suggest that our reliability is, in fact, necessary, and that such necessary reliability neither admits of, nor requires, any explanation of the envisaged sort.
Pulsatile mass in the scrotum in a man with the Leriche syndrome.

The Leriche syndrome is a triad of impotence, absent femoral pulses and buttock claudication, which are sequelae of complete obstruction of the infrarenal aorta and common iliac arteries.1 Patients with slowly progressive Leriche syndrome can maintain perfusion to the lower limbs by the developing sufficient collateral vessels. We report on a patient with the Leriche syndrome whose lower limb was primarily perfused by an aberrant internal spermatic artery manifesting itself as a pulsatile scrotal mass.
Enzymatic methylation of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein in isolated liver nuclei.

Protein N-methyltransferase activity has been studied in the rat liver nuclei, using recombinant heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle protein A1 and histone as the methyl acceptors. The hydrolysates of these two enzymatically [methyl-3H]-labeled proteins, however, yielded different patterns of methylated amino acids on HPLC analysis: NG-monomethyl-arginine (92%) and NG-NG-dimethyl (asymmetric) arginine (6.5%) were the major methylated amino acids identified in the protein A1, whereas e-N-methylated lysine derivatives constituted a predominant portion (71%) of the methylated amino acids in histone. When liver extracts isolated from rats fed a methyl deficient diet were assayed, the methyl accepting activity of protein A1 increased 64% over the control (rats fed normal diet), while that of histone increased 260%. Partial hepatectomy induced a 7.9-fold and 2.3-fold increase in the protein A1 methylase activity after 24 and 48 h of regeneration, respectively. These results, together with the fact that myelin basic protein-specific protein methylase I does not significantly methylate protein A1, indicate the presence of an enzyme in the rat liver nuclei which methylates the protein A1.
Role of boundary conditions on flutter of orthotropic panels.

Flutter of rectangular orthotropic panel supported by deflectional spring along two edges in supersonic airflow
Parents' reports of barriers to care for children with special health care needs: development and validation of the barriers to care questionnaire.

Objective.—To describe the development and validation of the Barriers to Care Questionnaire (BCQ). Methods.—The 39-item BCQ was developed through review of the literature, focus groups, and cognitive interviews of Spanish- and English-speaking parents of children with chronic health conditions. Barriers to care are conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of pragmatics, health knowledge and beliefs, expectations about care, skills, and marginalization. The BCQ was field tested in 3 samples of childen with special health care needs (CSHCN). Results.—Response rate for the field test was 77.2%. There were minimal missing data (0.08%), no floor effects, and minimal ceiling effects (3.8%, total scale). Internal consistency reliability (α) for the BCQ total scale was .95 and subscale α ranged from .75 to .91. The BCQ total scale and subscales correlated in the expected direction with validated measures of primary care characteristics and health-related quality of life. BCQ scores were higher (fewer barriers) for children with a primary care physician and for those who reported no problems getting care or foregone care. Conclusion.—The BCQ is a feasible, reliable, and valid instrument for measuring barriers to care for CSHCN. Its use may inform efforts to support consumer choice, enhance provider accountability, and spur quality improvement.
Enhancing Peer Conflict Resolution Skills through Drama: An Experimental Study.

This article explores the study of learning through drama in light of contemporary theories of knowledge acquisition. The learning explored includes acquiring content knowledge represented in the topics of dramatization, interpersonal and personal understandings gained through enacting situations, and the development of attitudes and motivations regarding self and others. The article then turns to a controlled experiment informed by the theories discussed. This experiment involved young adolescents over a span of 24 weeks in a drama programme aimed at both teaching dramatic arts and also boosting peer-to-peer conflict resolution skills. Children acted out concepts and created scene studies in which students explored the interplay of ideas; participants also tested the dynamics, rationales and consequences of actions by taking on various roles in conflict situations. They created scenarios in which conflict might be defused. Students wrote, produced, directed and acted in culminating plays at each of three...
Microorganisms and Indoor Air Quality

Microorganisms can cause adverse human health effects and deterioration of building materials when they proliferate in indoor environments (1). While all types of microorganisms can cause problems indoors, bacteria and fungi are most commonly associated with indoor air quality complaints. Bacteria are generally found growing indoors in areas with standing water such as water spray and condensation areas of airhandling system components. Fungi, which have lower water activity (A,,,) requirements than bacteria, tend to colonize a wide variety of building materials wetted from floods, condensation, or plumbing leaks. When microbial amplification occurs, the indoor environment becomes a source of exposure to the occupants, especially when the organisms and/or their by-products are released into the air as bioaerosols (2).
Tryptophan metabolism in the magnesium deficient rat.

Quantitative determinations of urinary metabolites of tryptophan were conducted in weanling white rats which had been maintained on a synthetic diet completely free of magnesium. No significant differences could be determined in the pattern of urinary metabolites of tryptophan in the magnesium deficient animals as compared to rats maintained on a synthetic controlled diet. Although magnesium is capable of catalyzing pyridoxal phosphate enzyme systems, the present study suggests that there is a “latitude” in metal requirements by these enzyme systems and that several other cations such as manganese or zinc may function to activate the system when magnesium is absent. It is concluded that deficiency of magnesium per se does not significantly affect tryptophan metabolism.
Experimental arterial sensitization; studies on the specificity of shock tissue.

Abstract 1.1. Albino rabbits of the same strain and approximate age and weight were passively sensitized with homologous antiserum to and challenged with horse serum according to a procedure favoring the production of acute lesions of vasculitis of the pulmonary arteries, arterioles, and veins. 2.2. Of ten animals sensitized and challenged intravenously through the ear vein, all developed the typical lesions of periarterial infiltration consisting chiefly of eosinophils and polymorphonuclear leukocytes and, to a much lesser extent, lymphocytes and mononuclear cells with some eosinophilic infiltration into the adventitia, media, and intima of the small pulmonary arteries and arterioles. The vasculature of other organs was unaffected. 3.3. Of nine animals subjected to similar procedures via the intracarotid arterial route, six developed similar pulmonary lesions, but the lesions were of milder intensity and were less frequently found than those sensitized and challenged by the intravenous route. The brains of these rabbits were free of lesions. 4.4. Eight animals received similar sensitizing and challenging injections intraperitoneally. In this group, lesions suggesting pulmonary vasculitis were infrequently found and were of a very mild or equivocal degree. Lesions could not be demonstrated within the liver following this procedure. 5.5. These results suggest that although modified by the route of administration of sensitizing and challenging doses, the development of acute lesions of pulmonary vasculitis may depend upon some undetermined specificity of the rabbit lung in participating in antigen-antibody reactions not found in the brain or liver of this animal. 6.6. Although not apparent, the reason for the involvement of the pulmonary vasculature in this reaction, considered a tissue manifestation of subacute anaphylaxis, may be related to the role of the pulmonary arteries as "shock organ" in anaphylactic shock.
Immunosuppression following 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene exposure in B6C3F1 mice--II. Altered cell-mediated immunity and tumor resistance.

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) produce a marked decrease in spleen weight, spleen and bone marrow cellularity and the number of IgM plaque forming cells generated in response to a T-dependent antigen. Exposure to DMBA, but not B[a]P, increased susceptibility to challenge with PYB6 tumor cells and Listeria monocytogenes suggesting that DMBA produces immune impairment involving cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and tumor resistance mechanisms. In this study, female B6C3F1 mice received total doses of 5, 50 and 100 μg DMBA/g of body weight in ten subsutaneous injections of o.5, 5, or 10 μg/g over a 2 week period and CMI and tumoricidal functions were examined 3–5 days following the final injection of DMBA. DMBA exposed mice exhibited suppressed splenic cellularity (decreased 62%) and decreased numbers of resident peritoneal cells (down to 47% of control), although the proportion of T cell and T cell subsets, B cells and macrophages in spleens from exposed mice was not altered. Lymphocyte blastogenesis in response to mitogens was suppressed up to 49% with PHA, 48% with Con A and 76% with LPS. The response to alloantigens in unidirectional mixed lymphocyte culture was depressed as much as 73% following exposure to DMBA. Tumor cytolysis mediated by cytotoxic T cells (CTL) was impaired at doses of 50 and 100 μg DMBA/g body weight (88–95% suppressed respectively) as was natural killer cell (NK)-mediated tumor cytolysis (24% and 55% suppressed). Antibody-dependent cytotoxicity was significantly depressed in the highest exposure group. Peritoneal macrophage accumulation was decreased in DMBA-treated mice, but the macrophages present were pushed towards activation. The ability of DMBA-exposed mice to eliminate intravenously injected B16F10 tumor cells from the lungs was not impaired. Since NK- and MO-mediated tumor cytotoxicity are thought to be primarily responsible for pulmonary elimination of B16F10 melanoma cells, the extent of NK suppression observed following DMBA exposure appeared to be Fnsufficient to alter in vivo B pulmonary elemination. In contrast, the loss of the CTL tumoricidal response correlated with an increased frequency of tumors following challenge with PYB6 tumor cells.
Metabolism, cell growth and the bacterial cell cycle

Adaptation to fluctuations in nutrient availability is a fact of life for single-celled organisms in the 'wild'. A decade ago our understanding of how bacteria adjust cell cycle parameters to accommodate changes in nutrient availability stemmed almost entirely from elegant physiological studies completed in the 1960s. In this Opinion article we summarize recent groundbreaking work in this area and discuss potential mechanisms by which nutrient availability and metabolic status are coordinated with cell growth, chromosome replication and cell division.
Balancing Innovation and Access: Patent Challenges Tip the Scales

Improvements in pharmaceutical research and development (RD however, one particular U.S. regulation—the Paragraph IV patent challenge—is increasingly stifling new drug innovation and deserves our attention.