cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A genetic screen identifies genes and sites involved in pilin antigenic variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

It has previously been shown that the frequency of pilin antigenic variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus, Gc) is regulated by iron availability. To identify factors involved in pilin variation in an iron-dependent or an iron-independent manner, we conducted a genetic screen of transposon-mutated gonococci using a pilus-dependent colony morphology phenotype to detect antigenic variation deficient mutants. Forty-six total mutants representing insertions in 30 different genes were shown to have reduced colony morphology changes resulting from impaired pilin variation. Five mutants exhibited an iron-dependent decrease in pilin variation, while the remaining 41 displayed an iron-independent decrease in pilin variation. Based on the levels of antigenic variation impairment, we defined the genes as being essential for, important for, or involved in antigenic variation. DNA repair and DNA transformation frequencies of each mutant were measured to determine whether other recombination-based processes were also affected in the mutants. Each mutant was placed into one of six classes based on their pilin variation, DNA repair and DNA transformation phenotypes. Among the many genes identified, recR is shown to be an additional member of the gonococcal RecF-like recombination pathway. In addition, recG and ruvA represent the first evidence that the processing of Holliday junctions is required for pilin antigenic variation. Moreover, two independent insertions in a non-coding region upstream of the pilE gene suggest that cis-acting sequences important for pilin variation are found in that region. Finally, insertions that effect expression of the thrB and thrC genes suggest that molecules in the threonine biosynthetic pathway are important for pilin variation. Many of the other genes identified in this genetic screen do not have an obvious role in pilin variation, DNA repair, or DNA transformation.
Design and performance enhancement of hydraulic pressure energy harvesting systems

Hydraulic pressure ripple energy harvesters generate low-power electricity from off-resonance dynamic pressure excitation of piezoelectric elements. Improvements were made to hydraulic pressure ripple energy harvester prototype performance. Hydraulic systems inherently have a high energy intensity associated with the mean pressure and flow. Accompanying the mean pressure is dynamic pressure ripple, which is caused by the action of pumps and actuators. Pressure ripple is generally a deterministic source with a periodic time-domain behavior conducive to energy harvesting. An energy harvester prototype was designed for generating low-power electricity from pressure ripples. These devices generate low-power electricity from off-resonance dynamic pressure excitation. The power produced per volume of device was increased through decreasing the device size and adding an inductor to the system circuit. The prototype device utilizes a piezoelectric stack with high overall capacitance allowing for inductance matching without using a switching circuit. Initial testing with addition of an inductor produced over 2.1 mW, an increase of 78% as compared to the device without the inductor. Two power output model simulations of a resistive-inductive circuit are analyzed: (1) ideal circuit case and (2) non-ideal circuit case with inductor internal resistance included.
Nearly Exact Analytical Formulation of the DNL Yield of the Digital-to-Analog Converter

Simple analytical differential nonlinearity (DNL) yield models of an arbitrarily segmented digital-to-analog converter (DAC) are presented. The yield estimation requires the analysis of the correlated DNL variation at each transition of the input code. Instead of using high-order integration of multivariate Gaussian probability density functions, this brief explores a new perspective on the formulation of the DNL yield by selecting essential test codes and by analyzing correlation coefficients between the test codes. Generally, for most DAC designs >; 6 bits, DNL caused by the binary and thermometer groups are equivalently uncorrelated. This statistical independence simplifies the DNL yield model as a multiplication of each section's yield, which involves only separate 1-D integration. We provide behavioral and HSPICE Monte Carlo simulation results that precisely match the yield estimation predicted by our models.
Organizational designs for achieving high treatment trial enrollment: a fuzzy-set analysis of the community clinical oncology program.

Two combinations were consistently associated with high levels of patient enrollment: having many open treatment trials and many new patients with cancer, and having many open treatment trials and many affiliated hospitals or practices.
The Spencerian and Comtian nexus in Gompers’ labor philosophy: The impact of non‐Marxian evolutionary thought

(1979). The Spencerian and Comtian nexus in Gompers’ labor philosophy: The impact of non‐Marxian evolutionary thought. Labor History: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 510-523.
Effect of Slaughter Technique, Immersion Scald, and Refrigerated Storage on Bacterial Counts of Poultry Air Sacs

Abstract THE normal chicken has relatively few microorganisms in its air sacs, according to the work of Smibert et al. (1958). Recent work of Tarver and May (1963) supports these findings. A majority of commercially slaughtered poultry is generally submerged in heated water to facilitate the removal of feathers, thus certain processing techniques may contribute to an increased bacterial count of remote air sac areas of chickens as a result of the immersion scald. Even though the water for scalding may be relatively free of microorganisms prior to its use, the bacterial count will increase with each scalded bird, (Tarver and May, 1963). A source of microorganisms is then available to permeate the innermost regions of the respiratory system. According to Thomson and Kotula (1959) the air sacs of chicken had lower bacterial counts after scalding when slaughtered by the Kosher method than by the regular or outside cut method. This…
Characterization of the transient oxaphosphetane BChE inhibitor formed from spontaneously activated ethephon.

The major plant growth regulator ethephon degrades to ethylene and phosphate in aqueous solutions and plants and is spontaneously activated to a butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitor in alkaline solutions and animal tissues. In the present 31P NMR kinetic study of the reactions of ethephon in pH 7.4 carbonate buffer, we observed a transient peak at 28.11 ppm. The time course for the appearance and disappearance of this peak matches the activation/degradation kinetic profile of the BChE inhibitor, and the chemical shift supports the proposed 2-oxo-2-hydroxy-1,2-oxaphosphetane structure.
HEAD GROWTH IN INFANTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE (CHD)

We studied patterns of head and somatic growth (height-ht, weight-wt and head circumference-OFC) in 30 infants with CHD. Infants referred in the first 3 mos of life for CHD requiring chronic medical or surgical therapy were enrolled if they had no recognizeable syndrome, intrauterine infection or chromosomal anomaly. Measurements of ht, wt, OFC and were made at 3, 6, 12, 15, and 24 mo of age. 8 initially were cyanotic, 3 have died, and 22 have undergone surgery at a mean age of 15 mos. As a group, the infants developed normally but grew poorly, with wt (20th percentile-%-at 18 months) affected more than OFC and ht (30th % at 18 months) .11 of the 30 showed no growth failure; 2 of those 11 were cyanotic, 1 has died and 6 are post-op. Of the 19 with growth failure, 10 were cyanotic, 2 have died and 16 are post-op. Therapy made no impact on growth patterns of 12 of the 19; but 7 of the growth failure group exhibited catch-up growth (wt> ht>OFC) following surgery at a mean age of 8 months. Mean OFC increased from the 10th to the 25th S> following surgery, even though OFC fell below the 5th % in 4 subjects. Catch-up head growth can accompany catch-up growth in ht and wt following successful surgery in some children with CHD; in others, normal or delayed growth patterns are unaffected by therapy.
Study on the Fabrication and Characterization of LAST and LASTT Based Thermoelectric Generators

Thermoelectric modules are of great interest for power generation applications where temperature gradients of approximately 500K exist, and hot side temperatures near 800K. The fabrication of such modules requires optimization of the material compositions, low contact resistivities, and low thermal loss. AgPbmSbTe2+m (LAST) and Ag(Pb1-xSnx)m SbTe2+m (LASTT) compounds are among the best known materials appropriate for this temperature range. Various measurement systems have been developed and used to characterize bulk samples in the LAST and LASTT systems within this operating temperature range. From the characterized data, modeling of modules based on these materials and segmented legs using LAST(T) with Bi2Te3 have been used to identify the optimal geometry for the individual legs, and the length of the Bi2Te3 segments. We have segmented LAST(T) with Bi2Te3 and achieved contact resistivities of less than 10 μΩ•cm2. Here we give a detailed presentation on the procedures used in the fabrication of thermoelectric generators based on LAST, LASTT, and segmented with Bi2Te3 materials. We also present the output data on these generators.
MicroRNAs: key gene regulators with versatile functions

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered class of small endogenous RNAs, which negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional levels. Since their discovery in 2002, plant miRNAs have been recognized as one of the most important gene regulators. Multiple evidences indicate that miRNAs play an important role in almost all plant cellular and metabolic processes, including developmental timing, signal transduction, cell maintenance and differentiation as well as response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Therefore, microRNA-related research has become one of the hottest areas in plant biology. This special issue is dedicated to the rapidly expanding research field on small RNAs, particularly on miRNAs and it features five review papers, three research articles and also one software paper. The review paper focuses on the different aspects of miRNA conservation, divergence, and functions as well as the status of art in moss, wheat and tree microRNA. The research articles address miRNA functions in male gametophyte development, the interaction between miRNAs and trans-acting RNAs, and the potential of premiRNA 159a to encode a second mature miRNAs with differentially expressed pattern. The software paper presents a comprehensive software packages for identifying and functionally analyzing miRNAs from deep sequencing datasets. We greatly appreciate the contribution of all authors and manuscript reviewers; they are all experts in this field. We also truly appreciate the support and help of the Editor-inChief and the Editorial Office staff of Plant Molecular Biology. Without their support, this specific issue could not have been possible.
Two kinetically distinct components of hyperpolarization-activated current in rat superior colliculus-projecting neurons.

1. Whole-cell and perforated patch recording techniques were used to examine the activation, deactivation and inactivation of the time-dependent hyperpolarization-activated inward currents (Ih) in isolated superior colliculus-projecting (SCP) neurons from rat primary visual cortex. 2. Examination of inward current waveforms revealed the presence of two kinetically distinct components of Ih: one that activates with a time constant of the order of hundreds of milliseconds, and one that activates with a time constant of the order of seconds. We have termed these Ih,f and Ih,s, to denote the fast and slow components, respectively, of current activation. The time constants of activation of both Ih,f and Ih,s decrease with increasing membrane hyperpolarization. 3. Following the onset of hyperpolarizing voltage steps, a delay is evident prior to time-dependent inward current activation. This delay is voltage dependent and decreases with increasing membrane hyperpolarization. 4. The sigmoidal inward current waveforms are well fitted by the sum of two exponentials in which the faster term, corresponding to the activation of Ih,f, is raised to the power 1.34 +/- 0.26 (mean +/- S.D.). The non-integral exponent suggests that Ih,f activation involves at least two energetically non-equivalent gating transitions prior to channel opening. 5. Over a limited voltage range, tail currents could also be resolved into two distinct components. The faster component, which corresponds to the deactivation of Ih,f, decayed over a single exponential time course with a mean (+/- S.D.) time constant of 355 +/- 161 ms at -70 mV. Ih,s decay also followed a single exponential time course with a mean (+/- S.D.) time constant of 2428 +/- 1285 ms at -70 mV. Both deactivation time constants decreased with increasing depolarization. 6. The separation of inward current activation and deactivation into two distinct components and the lack of correlation between the relative amplitudes of these components suggest that Ih,f and Ih,s reflect the presence of two functionally distinct channel populations. 7. No decrements in time-dependent hyperpolarization-activated inward currents were observed during hyperpolarizations lasting up to 18 s, suggesting that neither Ih,f nor Ih,s inactivates from the open state. In addition, 10 s depolarizations to 0 mV prior to activation did not alter the waveforms of the inward currents activated directly from -40 mV, suggesting that Ih,f and Ih,s also do not inactivate from closed states. 8. The hyperpolarization-activated currents in rat SCP neurons are ideally suited to contribute to the control of the resting membrane potential and input resistance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Liquid encapsulation for monochromatic LED emitter packages: Enhancement of thermal-optical performance and reliability

A special liquid encapsulant and the liquid encapsulation process are developed for enhancing passive cooling for the packaging of monochromatic LED emitters. It was observed that the liquid encapsulation process is superior than the conventional solid silicone encapsulation process in terms of the junction temperature for all the packaged emitters of various wavelengths using the liquid encapsulant. An enhanced reliability in terms of lifetime is thus expected for the emitters encapsulated with the liquid encapsulant. Moreover, an enhanced light output is also demonstrated for the emitters packaged with the liquid encapsulant, which can be attributed to be a result of the improved heat dissipation by convection and conduction in the upward direction through the liquid as well as in the downward direction through the contact area between the liquid and the reflective cup.
Mobile Integrated Profiler System (MIPS) Observations of Low-Level Convergent Boundaries during IHOP

Abstract Characteristics of convergent boundary zones (CBZs) sampled by the Mobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS) during the 2002 International H2O Project (IHOP_2002) are presented. The MIPS sensors (915-MHz wind profiler, 12-channel microwave profiling radiometer, ceilometer, and surface instrumentation) provide very fine temporal kinematic and thermodynamic profiles of the atmospheric boundary layer and CBZ properties, including enhanced 915-MHz backscatter within the CBZ updraft (equivalent to the radar fine line), a general increase in integrated water vapor within the updrafts of the CBZ, an increase in the convective boundary layer (CBL) depth, and changes in ceilometer backscatter that are typically coincident with arrival of cooler, moister air (the case for density current CBZ). Three contrasting CBZs are analyzed. Convective initiation was associated with a slow-moving dryline as it passed over the MIPS on 19 June. Updrafts up to 6 m s−1 were measured, and the CBL attained its greatest dept...
Hemosiderin. IV. Effect of iron on the determination of bound sialic acid and on deoxyribose.

Abstract The presence of iron in hemosiderin interferes with the determination of the bound sialic acid, and low values are obtained. The iron released during acid hydrolysis breaks down the sialic acid molecule. This effect of iron is studied by adding iron to sialic acid, aposiderin, and transferrin. The addition of iron does not alter the character of the spectrum of the thiobarbituric acid assay of sialic acid. Deoxyribose, when heated in 0.1 N H2SO4 at 80 ° for 45 minutes, will be partially decomposed. In the presence of iron this breakdown is increased.
Utilization of Peptide Carrier System To Improve Intestinal Absorption: Targeting Prolidase as a Prodrug-Converting Enzyme

The feasibility of targeting prolidase as a peptide prodrug-converting enzyme has been examined. The enzymatic hydrolysis by prolidase of substrates for the peptide transporter L-alpha-methyldopa-pro and several dipeptide analogues without an N-terminal alpha-amino group (phenylpropionylproline, phenylacetylproline, N-benzoylproline, and N-acetylproline) was investigated. The Michaelis-Menten parameters Km and Vmax for L-alpha-methyldopa-pro are 0.09 +/- 0.02 mM and 3.98 +/- 0.25 mumol/min/mg protein, respectively. However, no hydrolysis of the dipeptide analogues without an N-terminal alpha-amino group is observed, suggesting that an N-terminal alpha-amino group is required for prolidase activity. These results demonstrate that prolidase may serve as a prodrug-converting enzyme for the dipeptide-type prodrugs, utilizing the peptide carrier for transport of prodrugs into the mucosal cells and prolidase, a cytosolic enzyme, to release the drug. However, a free alpha-amino group appears to be necessary for prolidase hydrolysis.
Conflict Frames of Reference: Implications for Dispute Processes and Outcomes

Previous research has shown that disputants differ substantially in how they experience, or cognitively “frame,” conflict—even the same conflict. We explored the influence of cognitive frames on ne...
Sisomicin: Evaluation In Vitro and Comparison with Gentamicin and Tobramycin

Sisomicin is a new antibiotic produced by Micromonospora inyoensis. The in vitro activities of sisomicin, gentamicin, and tobramycin, three similar aminoglycosides, were determined against 228 clinical isolates representing 10 genera of common pathogens. No difference was noted in the activities of these antimicrobial agents when assayed by a standard broth dilution technique against Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Salmonella, Citrobacter, enterococci, or Staphylococcus aureus. Sisomicin was significantly more active than tobramycin against Serratia and indole-positive Proteus strains. Sisomicin was significantly more active than gentamicin against indole-negative Proteus strains and slightly more active against indole-positive Proteus strains. Tobramycin was more active than sisomicin or gentamicin against Pseudomonas and indole-negative Proteus strains. Gram-negative bacilli resistant to one of the three antimicrobial agents were not necessarily resistant to either of the other two. Activity of sisomicin was independent of the susceptibility or resistance of these isolates to nine other antimicrobial agents as assayed by the Bauer-Kirby technique. The presence of 50% human serum did not antagonize the in vitro activity of sisomicin against gram-negative isolates. Because sisomicin showed certain advantages over gentamicin or tobramycin in vitro, further investigation of this new antimicrobial agent is warranted.
GnRH pulse frequency modulation of gonadotropin subunit gene transcription in normal gonadotropes-assessment by primary transcript assay provides evidence for roles of GnRH and follistatin.

We examined the time course of action of GnRH pulse frequency on gonadotropin subunit gene transcription and assessed the roles of GnRH, follistatin (FS), and activin on differential transcription of the LHβ and FSHβ genes. GnRH-deficient male rats were pulsed with 25 ng GnRH either every 30 min (fast frequency) or every 240 min (slow frequency) for 1–24 h. Both GnRH frequencies increased α primary transcript (PT) 5-fold within 6 h, but only fast frequency GnRH increased α mRNA. Only fast frequency GnRH pulses affected LHβ PT, resulting in 6- to 9-fold increases between 1–24 h. Fast frequency GnRH pulses transiently increased FSHβ PT at 1 and 6 h (4- and 2-fold, respectively); but by 24 h FSHβ PT had returned to control levels and was correlated to a 5- to 9-fold increase in FS mRNA. In contrast, slow GnRH pulses increased FSHβ PT 3- and 6-fold at 8 and 24 h, respectively, which was correlated with a decline in FS mRNA. Activin mRNA did not change significantly after either GnRH frequency, but tended to f...
Blind separation of signal and multipath interference for synthetic aperture sonar

Multipath interference is a major source of noise for synthetic aperture sonar systems operating in shallow water. Motivated by this problem, we present an iterative algorithm for blindly separating the signal from the multipath interference that uses differences in the temporal coherence properties of the signal and multipaths caused by sea surface roughness to estimate the optimum filter weights. The filter weights are estimated by minimizing the circular variance of the phase differences between overlapping vertical phase centers. An important advantage of this approach is that signal-free training data and accurate array calibration information are not needed. Experimentally we show that the blind separation performance is competitive with high resolution angle of arrival estimation and compares favorably to the Cramer-Rao lower bound predicted error.
The information content of the limit order book: evidence from NYSE specialist trading decisions ☆

Abstract Specialists compete with limit order traders to provide liquidity at the New York Stock Exchange. Since specialists see all system limit orders, they enjoy a unique advantage in this competition. We examine whether the limit order book is informative about future price changes and whether specialists use this information when trading. We use order quantities as well as option values to capture the information content of the limit order book. Our analyses consider three actions specialists can take when a market order arrives: stop the order, immediately fill the order at the quoted price, or immediately fill the order at an improved price. Using SuperDOT limit orders in the TORQ database, we find that the limit order book is informative about future price movements. We also find that specialists use this information in ways that favor them (and sometimes the floor community) over the limit order traders. The results are more evident for active stocks where the competition between specialists and limit order traders is more intense. Moreover, we find strong evidence that specialists in lower-priced stocks are less likely to initiate such actions because of the large relative tick size.
Fatty Acid Composition of Bovine Teat Canal Keratin

Abstract Keratin from 507 excised teats was pooled, separated into three samples, and analyzed for fatty acid composition of extracellular and intracellular lipids. Mean weight of keratin collected per teat canal was 8.97mg. Extracellular lipids were recovered in petroleum ether. Intracellular lipids were extracted in chloroform:methanol (2:1, vol/vol) solution. Average keratin wet weight of extracellular and intracellular lipid fractions were 37.1 and 21.9 mg/g, respectively. Polar and nonpolar lipids were present in both fractions. Predominant fatty acids in extracellular and intracellular lipids were C 16 , C 18:1 , and C 18 . Extracellular lipids contained greater concentrations of C 4 to C 18:1 fatty acids than did intracellular lipids. Percent of total fatty acid weight comprised by each of C 4 , C 10 , C 12 and C 14 was also significantly greater in extracellular than intracellular fractions. Intracellular lipids contained a greater concentration and percent total fatty acid content comprised by C 18:2 than extracellular lipids. Data suggest lipids accessible at the keratin interface are in part of milk fat origin.
Effect of administered 20 β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase on serum progesterone in the rat

Abstract Administration of 20 β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Streptomyces hydrogenans to rats either intravenously or intraperitoneally results in decreases in serum progesterone. Detectable quantities of the enzyme were present in serum 2 days after intravenous injection. Intraperitoneal injections of 1.3 to 1.9 units of enzyme were effective in reducing serum progesterone over a longer period of time than the corresponding i.v. injections despite the failure of the enzyme to be absorbed into blood in detectable amounts; the serum concentration 2 hours after injection was 23% of that present before injection. The response was similar in diestrous and proestrous rats.
OUT-OF-VOCABULARY WORD DETECTION IN A SPEECH-TO-SPEECH TRANSLATION SYSTEM

In this paper we describe progress we have made in detecting out-of-vocabulary words (OOVs) for a speech-to-speech translation system for the purpose of playing back audio to the user for clarification and correction. Our OOV detector follows a strategy of first identifying a rough location of the OOV and then merging adjacent decoded words to cover the true OOV word. We show the advantage of our OOV detection strategy and report on improvements using a real-time implementation of a new Convolutional Neural Network acoustic model. We discuss why commonly used metrics for OOV detection do not meet our needs and explore an overlap metric as well as a Jaccard metric for evaluating our ability to detect the OOVs and localize them accurately in time. We have found different metrics to be useful at different stages of development.
Changing physician practice of physical activity counseling

We conducted a prospective controlled trial to determine whether an educational intervention could improve resident physician self-efficacy and counseling behaviors for physical activity and increase their patients’ reported activity levels. Forty-eight internal medicine residents who practiced at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital received either two workshops on physical activity counseling or no intervention. All residents completed questionnaires before and 3 months after the workshops. The 21 intervention physicians reported increased self-efficacy for counseling and increased frequency of counseling compared with the 27 control physicians. Approximately 10 patients of each resident were included in the study and surveyed before and 6 months after the intervention. Of 560 patients, 465 (83%) returned both questionnaires. Following the intervention, there were no significant differences between patients of intervention and control physicians on any outcome measures. We conclude that educational interventions can improve physicians’ reported self-efficacy of physical activity counseling but may not increase patient physical activity levels. Alternative approaches that emphasize overcoming the substantial barriers to exercise in chronically ill outpatients clearly will be important for facilitating changes in physical activity.
Agreement between resident and faculty emergency physicians in the application of NEXUS criteria for suspected cervical spine injuries.

Abstract Background The National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) developed a decision rule for when cervical spine radiographs are required in the setting of trauma. To our knowledge, inter-rater reliability between resident and faculty emergency physicians has not been studied. Objective This study seeks to compare the inter-rater agreement of postgraduate year (PGY) 2–4 emergency medicine (EM) residents vs. EM faculty physicians. Methods A convenience sample of patients presenting to an urban, academic, Level II emergency department (ED) with complaints of cervical spine pain after trauma were enrolled. All subjects received separate examinations by an EM faculty physician and by a PGY 2–4 EM resident in a blinded fashion. Eighty subjects were enrolled in the study. Results Agreement for each of the NEXUS components were: posterior midline tenderness (PMT) 85.0% and κ = 0.70, intoxication (TOX) 95.0% and κ = 0.72, altered mental status (AMS) 87.5% and κ = 0.22, focal neurologic deficit (FND) 92.5% and κ = 0.21, and presence of a distracting injury (DIS) 88.8% and κ = 0.13. Overall agreement for need for radiographs was 77.5% and κ = 0.53. Sixty of the subjects received radiography (28 computed tomography, 40 plain films, 8 both). One fracture (C1 lamina) was detected in this dataset. Two of the five NEXUS criteria (PMT, TOX) demonstrated substantial agreement, two (AMS, FND) fair agreement, and one (DIS) slight agreement. Conclusions Based on our findings, there was considerable difference in agreement between staff physicians and residents. This could be due to the level of experience of the provider or the subjectiveness of components the criteria.
Death on the kidney waiting list--good candidates or not?

The waiting list for a kidney or simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplant is growing, and waiting times are getting longer. As a consequence, transplant candidates are dying while waiting for a transplant. In a retrospective analysis, we studied whether patients on our list who died while waiting were good candidates. From January 1, 2002, through September 30, 2004, 85 candidates on our list died. Of these, 71% were waiting for a first transplant; 62% had a current panel-reactive antibody (PRA) level of 0%. Of the 85 candidates who died, the mean (±SD) age was 53 ± 11 years; mean waiting time from listing to death, 979 ± 749 days. The most common cause of death was cardiovascular disease. Many of those candidates who died while waiting were young, first-transplant candidates with a low PRA level. But only limited information was available; prospective studies are necessary to determine whether or not they were, in fact, good candidates.
ANTHOCYANINS FROM WILD CARROT SUSPENSION CULTURES ACYLATED WITH SUPPLIED CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

Abstract The anthocyanins accumulated by carrot cell cultures include some that are acylated. Addition of cinnamic and benzoic acid analogues to the culture medium resulted in the production of fourteen novel monoacylated anthocyanins. Four additional anthocyanins were prepared by partial acid hydrolysis, which selectively removed the xylose side chain from the branched trisaccharide part of the molecule. The carrot cells accommodate a wide range of carboxylic acids used to acylate anthocyanins and provide a system for the preparation of anthocyanins that have a variety of acyl groups attached. The compounds were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy at both pH 2 and 6.
Collective phenomena in gauge theories. II. Renormalization in finite-temperature field theory

A procedure is given for renormalization of finite-temperature and -density Green's functions to all orders of perturbation theory. The Lagrangian counterterms are independent of temperature, density, and all mass parameters of the Lagrangian. Thus renormalization-group equations may be written for Green's functions in a medium for which the Callan--Symanzik functions depend only on the dimensionless coupling constants. By scaling the temperature and/or chemical potential in the renormalization-group equations it is shown that asymptotic freedom in non-Abelian gauge theories occurs for large temperatures (early hot universe) and for large chemical potential (high density of the medium) as well as large momenta. (AIP)
Mining knowledge from databases: an information network analysis approach

Most people consider a database is merely a data repository that supports data storage and retrieval. Actually, a database contains rich, inter-related, multi-typed data and information, forming one or a set of gigantic, interconnected, heterogeneous information networks. Much knowledge can be derived from such information networks if we systematically develop an effective and scalable database-oriented information network analysis technology. In this tutorial, we introduce database-oriented information network analysis methods and demonstrate how information networks can be used to improve data quality and consistency, facilitate data integration, and generate interesting knowledge. This tutorial presents an organized picture on how to turn a database into one or a set of organized heterogeneous information networks, how information networks can be used for data cleaning, data consolidation, and data qualify improvement, how to discover various kinds of knowledge from information networks, how to perform OLAP in information networks, and how to transform database data into knowledge by information network analysis. Moreover, we present interesting case studies on real datasets, including DBLP and Flickr, and show how interesting and organized knowledge can be generated from database-oriented information networks.
Believability through context using "knowledge in the world" to create intelligent characters

Intelligent characters are presently quite limited. How useful and how believable they are depends on the extent to which they are integrated into a specific environment for a particular set of tasks. This tight integration of character and context is an inadequate approach in the rapidly-expanding realm of large, diverse, structurally homogeneous but disparate virtual environments, of which the Web is only the most obvious example. By separating a character's core features, which are invariable, from its knowledge of and abilities in any specific environment, and embedding this latter information as annotations in the environment itself, we can significantly improve the character's believability, its utility, and its reusability across a variety of domains.This paper describes an agent architecture that can interact with an annotated virtual environment, together with a structure for representing information in and about these environments. We also present an example applying this approach to intelligent characters in a complex virtual world.
Magnetic moment of 57Ni

Abstract An extra neutron added to a doubly magic nuclear core should give a nuclear magnetic moment, μ, in close agreement with the Schmidt value. However, the magnetic moment of 57Ni, measured through nuclear alignment at 3–20 mK, is equal to ∣μ∣ = 0.88±0.06 μN which is only 45% of the Schmidt value. Comparison with several nuclear structure calculations is made.
E.B. White 1899–1985

E. B. White died in Brooklin, Maine, on October 1, 1985. We who profess an affinity for the sea have lost a fellow practitioner. White's tools were simple and eloquent words, not ships and equations, and he is best known for his writing in other fields. Yet we should also remember that Andy White wrote quiet and sensitive essays about the sea, and there is no doubt that his overflowing naturalist's portfolio was infused with an abiding love and respect for wind and water.
Problems in the gas phase isolation of nonvolatile molecules by high pressure jets for mass spectrometry

Abstract The possibility that nonvolatile molecules can be isolated in the gas phase through a rapid decompression of their solution in a compressed gas solvent at pressures of the order of 10 3 atmospheres is examined. Crucial to this process are (a) the existence of sufficient internal energy to break up the solute—solvent cluster, (b) rates of dissociation great enough to give complete dissociation of solvent and solute and (c) a limited degree of association between solute molecules. Each of these conditions is examined theoretically with assumed parameters to represent typical macromolecules. The treatment suggests that condition (c) is most stringent, requiring extremely rapid decompression in order to avoid undue solute loss. Nozzles for decompression from 1000 to 1 atm have been constructed, using Nichrome V foil with laser-drilled holes of diameter from 5 to 25 μm. The flow properties have been characterized. The resulting jet successfully transports β-carotene to the low pressure side. Mass spectral studies of a solution of squalane in argon indicated that the squalane is localized in the jet but further studies with a complete jet-skimmer system are required to establish the overall feasibility of the method.
Evaluation of a urine screen for acetaminophen

Background Acetaminophen (APAP) is a leading cause of fatal overdose. This study examined the performance characteristics of the Biosite Triage TOX Drug Screen qualitative APAP urine test (urine screen) in a clinical setting.
Penetration of hardwoods by liquids

Oven dry highly evacuated sticks of the sapwood of various hardwoods, 40 cm long by 1.0 to 1.2 cm in the radial and tangential directions, took up water to the extent of 44 to 82% of saturation by capillary flow in one minute. Heartwood sticks took up 15 to 38% of saturation in one minute. The initial rapid penetration was followed by a penetration in which the take up increase directly with the square root of elapsed time. In this range, the slope of toluene take up plots was about twice that of the water take up. This is close to the theoratical value on the basis of viscous flow control. The linear portion of the plots is followed by a curvilinear decrease in rate of take up to a final equilibrium value. Water take ups approached 100% of the theoretical values. Times to 0.99 of theoretical filling with water varied from 9 minutes for tupelo gum sapwood to 14.6 to 17.3 days for white oak heartwood. Complete filling with toluene was never attained. Diffuse porous hardwoods filled to the extent of 93.5 to 96.5% of saturation. Ring porous oaks filled to the extent of 88 to 92%, the lower values being for heartwood. Edge coating of the sapwood of yellow poplar and yellow birch with epoxy glue reduced the rate of penetration only slightly. End coating reduced the rate to a higher degree. Moisture gradients in the fiber direction for tyloses-free hardwoods were negligible at various stages of penetration, indicating that filling of the vessels was practically instantaneous. White oak heartwood gave an initial longitudinal gradient followed by a negligible gradient, indicating that longitudinal penetration is primarily through the lumen of the fibers rather than continously through the vessels. Longitudinal penetration was calculated to be 31.5 times as deep as transverse penetration in 100 minutes and 33.3 times as deep in 25 minutes for white oak heartwood. The ratios are of the same order of magnitude as for Loblolly pine. In both cases the ratios are smaller than values calculated from the fiber dimensions alone as ray cell penetration and cross grain effects tend to lower the ratios.
Synthesis of zeolite A in the Na/K system and the effect of seeding

Crystallizations were carried out with a standard zeolite A batch composition, but using pure Na, pure K, or mixtures of Na and K with a constant total cation concentration. Larger zeolite A crystals were formed in the presence of K ions; however, other zeolite phases coprecipitated with zeolite A in increasing amounts as the K ion content increased. No zeolite A was formed in the pure K ion system; however, zeolites K-F and K-G did coprecipitate. Using zeolite A seeds in these preparations is shown to promote the formations of new populations of zeolite A, even in the presence of pure K ion systems. Adding smaller amounts of seeds is shown to reduce the crystallization time of the co-precipitated phases in the pure K ion system, even though new zeolite A crystals do not nucleate.
Black-White Differences in Disability and Morbidity in the Last Years of Life

To assess black-white differences in disability and morbidity in the last years of life, the authors analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1986 to 1994, with mortality follow-up through December 1995. A baseline household interview was conducted for 10,187 decedents aged 50 years and over within 2 years before death. Data collected included long-term limitation of activity, number of chronic conditions, number of bed days, doctor visits, and days of short hospital stay during the year preceding the interview. For both blacks and whites, educational attainment was inversely associated with disability/morbidity indices. Black decedents had greater morbidity compared with whites, and this difference was consistent across educational levels. Adjustment for education reduced the black-white difference in limitation of activity score by 32%, bed days by 59%, and hospital stay days by 40%. This study from a national representative US sample indicates that black decedents experienced greater disability/morbidity and worse quality of life through their last few months or years of life. Educational attainment was associated with morbidity before death and accounted for much of the black-white difference.
Four‐level interactions: herbivore use of ferns and subsequent parasitoid–hyperparasitoid performance

1. Variables affecting species at the ends of trophic chains may modify the success of members with which they do not directly interact. The majority of such examples involve three trophic levels, but hyperparasitoids provide an excellent opportunity to examine four-level relationships. 2. The gregarious hyperparasitoid Aprostocetus sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) commonly attacks the primary parasitoid Alabagrus texanus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), by far the commonest parasitoid of the moth Herpetogramma theseusalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). 3. Larvae of this moth feed on ferns of two families, sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis (Dryopteridaceae) and marsh fern Thelypteris palustris (Thelypteridaceae), in the study area, an old field in Maine, U.S.A. 4. I test the hypotheses that the ferns indirectly affect the reproductive success of the hyperparasitoids and that the ferns produce similar effects at intermediate links. 5. The moths experienced similar success on the two ferns, and the primary parasitoid performed similarly on moths reared from both ferns. The hyperparasitoid parasitized similar proportions of the primary parasitoid from moths that fed on sensitive fern and marsh fern. 6. However, hyperparasitoid broods on primary parasitoids from moths feeding on marsh fern contained approximately one-third more offspring, whose individuals were significantly larger than those from sensitive fern, even though their hosts’ sizes did not differ significantly. 7. An indirect effect, related to the primary producers, thus strongly affected Trophic Level 4 in the absence of a significant effect at intermediate levels. To the best of my knowledge, this relationship has not been previously reported in a multi-year or field-based study of a natural system.
Sorption and desorption quantity-intensity parameters related to plant-available soil phosphorus

Phosphorus sorption quantity-intensity (Q/I) relationships have been used more frequently than desorption to assess the capacity of soils to supply P to plants, although desorption properties would seem more appropriate when studying the soil-plant system since P release is a key feature. The objective of this study was to compare sorption and desorption Q/I parameters as soil P availability indexes. Five soils with diverse chemical and physical properties were enriched with 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg P k g 1 Phosphorus sorption and desorption data were related to corn (Zea mays L.) growth and P uptake results from a greenhouse experiment. The solution P concentration after a given P addition and the corresponding slope of the Q/I curve or P buffering power were used as the sorption intensity and capacity parameters, respectively. The solution P concentration when no P is desorbed by the sample (Io), the magnitude of slope of the Q/I curve at Io or P buffering power at Io, and the maximum desorbed soil P (Qmax) were used as desorption intensity, capacity, and quantity parameters, respectively. Intensity and capacity factors derived from sorption and desorption Q/I curves were not good indicators of the P supplying capacity of soils, but the Qmax was better related to plant growth and P uptake. These results suggest that a specific quantity parameter gained from P desorption Q/I relationships is more useful and meaningful than any parameter obtained from P sorption curves when evaluating the plant-available P in soils. No simple relationship existed between capacity parameters obtained from sorption and desorption curves. View complete article To view this complete article, insert Disc 5 then click button8
Modeling the Effects of Processing Effort and Ability in Response to Persuasive Message Arguments

This study proposed a path model of the effects of message comprehensibility on attitude change with the measured cognitive mediators suggested by dual-process models of persuasion. An experiment was conducted using a 2 (strong arguments vs. weak arguments) × 2 (easy vs. difficult to understand arguments) fully crossed independent-groups design with 120 participants. The data were consistent with the traditional impact of message comprehensibility on difficulty of processing the message such that the effect of argument strength was diminished when the arguments were difficult, rather than easy, to understand. The path models were not consistent with the data, and the model was revised to produce adequate fit.
Disaggregating Peace: Domestic Politics and Dispute Outcomes

Drawing on arguments about the domestic political costs of using force and the ability of states to signal resolve, we develop a selection effects-based model of militarized interstate dispute outcomes. By disaggregating dispute outcomes to capture important theoretical distinctions among different types of “peaceful” resolutions to militarized disputes, we are able to generate new hypotheses about the effects of regime type on conflict escalation. Employing a multinomial logit analysis on disputes since 1816, we find that democracy has both monadic and dyadic effects on dispute escalation and that the effect of regime type varies with a state's role in a dispute. Disputes with democratic initiators are less likely to escalate to violence because democratic initiators are more likely than nondemocratic initiators to obtain target concessions without employing force. Democratic targets, on the other hand, select themselves out of disputes by making concessions at a higher rate than nondemocracies, unless t...
ON ABSORPTION FROM INTRAMUSCULAR TISSUE

Injections of adrenalin or other substances into the lumbar muscles of rabbits are followed by a rapid absorption in whole or in part of these substances. The rapid absorption is not due to the needle being within a vein or to the tearing of veins by the needle during its insertion. Similar injections into gluteal muscles fail to give reliable results.