cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive evolution of conserved noncoding elements in mammals.

Conserved noncoding elements (CNCs) are an abundant feature of vertebrate genomes. Some CNCs have been shown to act as cis-regulatory modules, but the function of most CNCs remains unclear. To study the evolution of CNCs, we have developed a statistical method called the “shared rates test” to identify CNCs that show significant variation in substitution rates across branches of a phylogenetic tree. We report an application of this method to alignments of 98,910 CNCs from the human, chimpanzee, dog, mouse, and rat genomes. We find that ∼68% of CNCs evolve according to a null model where, for each CNC, a single parameter models the level of constraint acting throughout the phylogeny linking these five species. The remaining ∼32% of CNCs show departures from the basic model including speed-ups and slow-downs on particular branches and occasionally multiple rate changes on different branches. We find that a subset of the significant CNCs have evolved significantly faster than the local neutral rate on a particular branch, providing strong evidence for adaptive evolution in these CNCs. The distribution of these signals on the phylogeny suggests that adaptive evolution of CNCs occurs in occasional short bursts of evolution. Our analyses suggest a large set of promising targets for future functional studies of adaptation.
UWB network demonstrator for space applications

This abstract accompanying a poster presents research on impulse radio ultra-wideband system and development of a demonstrator proving suitability of the technology for reliable and deterministic network funded by ESA.
Prednisolone pharmacodynamics: Leukocyte trafficking in the rat

Leukocytes circulate throughout the body patrolling for foreign antigens and facilitating immune responses. Corticosteroids exert their immunosuppressive actions, in part, by inhibiting the normal trafficking of these cells. The rat was used to investigate corticosteroid-induced changes in circulating total lymphocytes, CD4+ cells, and granulocytes. Prednisolone doses of 5, 25, and 50 mg/kg or saline were given i.v. Blood was taken over 24 hr for analysis of cell subsets by flow cytometry. Steroid exposure was assessed by assaying plasma prednisolone by HPLC. Response profiles were complicated, possibly by opposing effects on the recirculation of cells to blood. This prospect was investigated using pharmacodynamic cell trafficking models. Steroid-like effects in saline treated animals that may be due to stress or other factors limited data interpretation. As an animal model to characterize cell trafficking actions, the rat is an imperfect model.
Development and functional response of Coelophora inaequalis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) feeding on brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida (Homoptera: Aphididae).

Summary 1 Development and survivorship of Coelophora inaequalis (F.) were evaluated in the laboratory on the brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy) at 20 and 25 °C. Coelophora inaequalis could complete its life cycle feeding on T. citricida at these two temperatures. The developmental period from egg to adult was significantly longer at 20 °C (24.7 d) than at 25 °C (15.9 d). The survivorship of combined immature stages were higher at 25 °C (39.2%) than at 20 °C (34.3%). 2 The effects of prey densities (4–64 aphids per leaf disk) on the functional responses of C. inaequalis fourth-instar larvae and female adults were investigated using grapefruit leaf disks over a 24-h period at 25 °C and a photoperiod of LD 14 : 10 h. Logistic regression analyses indicated that fourth-instar larvae and adults exhibited a type II functional response to aphid density. Fourth-instar larvae had a higher search rate (0.1305) than C. inaequalis female adults (0.0989). The handling time of fourth-instar larvae (30.4 min) was significantly longer than that of female adults (5.8 min). Collectively, C. inaequalis appears to be a promising biological control agent of T. citricida in the citrus groves.
Hydrogen bonding in cyclopropane⋯HCN; an ab initio SCF-MO study

Calculs des energies totales, distributions de charge electronique, energies orbitales, moments dipolaires et quadripolaires pour cyclopropane, HCN et leur complexe a liaison hydrogene
Porosity factor for case of laminar flow through granular media

The resistance coefficient of flow through granular media depends on the porosity of the medium as well as the Reynolds number of the flow. There is disagreement as to the functional relationship between porosity and resistance coefficient, hence a series of carefully conducted permeability tests was made on randomly packed and systematically packed media using a variable head permeameter. The test results indicated that the relationship between porosity and resistance coefficient for laminar flow through granular media is represented best by the Fair-Hatch expression (l-a)2/a3 when compared with other factors that appear in the literature.
THE GAME OF 'GOSSIP' ANALYZED BY THE THEORY OF INFORMATION

This paper deals with an analysis of a distributed model of the game of “gossip”, in which a message is passed through a line of individuals, and the final (in general, garbled) result is compared with the original ungarbled message. The deterioration of information (defined in the sense of Shannon and Wiener) along the line is calculated, and exact as well as asymptotic formulas suggesting approximate linear electric network analogues are obtained.
Creative movement therapy benefits children with autism

Thirty‐eight children with autism were given movement therapy in small groups led by a trained movement therapist. After two months of biweekly sessions, the movement therapy versus the control (N = 38) children spent less time wandering, more time showing on‐task behavior, less time showing negative responses to being touched, and less time resisting the teacher.
Development of industrial polyolefin blends using melt rheology data

The review of current knowledge of the composition dependence of polymer-blend processability and morphology shows that development of industrial blends requires use of a semiempirical approach, based on the particular rheological composition (PRC) concept. Selecting blend composition in the close proximity to PRC and employing factorial experiments for the mixing process allows the development of successful industrial polyethylene/polypropylene blends designed for film and blow-molding applications.
Evaluation of the accuracy of deformable registration of prostate MRI for targeted prostate cancer radiotherapy

Endorectal MRI provides detailed images of the prostate anatomy and is useful for radiation treatment planning. The endorectal probe (which is often removed during radiotherapy) introduces a large prostate deformation, thereby posing a challenge for purposes of treatment planning. The probe-in MRI needs to be deformably registered to the planning MRI prior to radiation treatment. The goal of this paper is to evaluate a deformable registration workflow and quantify its accuracy and suitability for radiation treatment planning. We use three metrics to evaluate the accuracy of the prostate/tumor segmentations from the registered volume to the gold standard prostate/tumor segmentations: (a) Dice Similarity Coefficient (b) Hausdorff Distance (c) Mean surface distance. These metrics quantify the acceptability of the registration within the prescribed treatment margin. We evaluate and adapt existing methods, both manual and automated, to accurately track, visualize and quantify the deformations in the prostate geometry between the endorectal MRI and the treatment planning image. An important aspect of the work described in this paper is the integration of interactive guidance on the registration process. The approach described in this paper provides users with the option of performing interactive manual alignment followed by deformable registration.
Numerical Simulations of Fracture Resistance of Functionally Graded Concrete Materials

The concept of grading material composition in a predetermined direction to target multiple objectives and functionality is applicable to the layering and positioning of different materials at specified depths. From a fracture mechanics perspective, this study explores the advantages of using functionally graded concrete materials (FGCMs), that is, plain concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC), in two distinct layers. The fracture energy (G) and residual load capacity (Pδ) of two-layered concrete beams are investigated by means of numerical simulations with a cohesive zone model (CZM) implemented in a finite element framework. The required fracture parameters for defining the CZM are obtained from individual fracture tests of the plain concrete and FRC materials. The numerical simulations analyzed the effects of FRC thickness and position (whether at the top or bottom of the beam) on the fracture resistance of the two-layered concrete beam. A cost-benefit analysis showed that the FRC placed in the bo...
Competing perspectives on democracy and democratization: assessing alternative models of democracy promoted in Central Asian states

This study examines alternative understandings of democracy and democracy promotion advanced by the US, EU, Russia and China in Central Asia using frame analysis. In the context of this study, ‘frames’ refer to the relatively cohesive sets of beliefs, categories and value judgements as well as specific ways in which these ideas are packaged for the targets of international democratization. The study assesses the implications of alternative representations of democracy promotion and competing models of governance for the prospects of democratization in Central Asia. It concludes that the substance of US and EU democracy promotion in Central Asia has neglected the cultural and political contexts of these states, while the Russian and Chinese models of governance and development have provided a better match to the interests of the ruling elites.
Confucian Ritual as Body Language of Self, Society, and Spirit

This article explains how li 禮 or ‘ritual propriety’ is the ‘body language’ of ren 仁 or the authentic expression of our humanity. Li and ren are interdependent aspects of a larger creative human way (rendao 仁道) that can be conceptually distinguished as follows: li refers to the ritualized social form of appropriate conduct and ren to the more general, authentically human spirit this expresses. Li is the social instrument for self-cultivation and the vehicle of harmonious human interaction. More, li must mean something that is effectively communicated to others for an authentic, human (ren) interaction to occur. Li is the body language of ren in being the ritual vehicle for its’ expression; however, li is underdetermined by ren and so must be distinguished from it in on further grounds: authentic human activity must not just be equivocated with social convention because conclusively establishing whether a particular action is li (or is a truly ren action) is impossible. As a result, li is often confused with social power and privilege that is easier to empirically identify than ren conduct is, but this is a mistake since li has to express ren or it is not li at all. The inescapable ambiguity of li – an ambiguity that attaches to any language – can be critiqued by the Western view that sees something ‘essential’ to the ‘self,’ and that makes one a ‘self’ in and of oneself and not in a way that depends on others. I show that such Western individualism – while resting on a fundamentally different way of thinking of being a person and living a good life – does not reduce Confucian ritual to being an instrument for social discrimination and subordination. My argument is indebted to twentieth-century philosophy of language in the West that offered the idea that some words are actions.
Firing roof refractories by setting products of a single grade

A study was made of the firing process in a high-temperature tunnel kiln set with roof refractories of one and two grades. The firing loss when the products were placed in 3–4 rows (on edge) is slight but sharply increases in the two lower rows of the lattice setting using products of a single grade. The setting of the roof refractories over the height should consist of no more than four rows (on edge) which with a kiln channel height of 1.1 m is possible by using a setting of periclase-spinel refractories with an undersetting of chrome-magnesite products. The firing of the roof refractories should be done in a 7-column setting using products of two grades with a column thickness of 0.23 m and a length of 2.6 m. The possibility of using lattice settings in specialized kilns with a low channel height should be considered separately.
Substituent effects of N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamides on positive allosteric modulation of the metabotropic glutamate-5 receptor in rat cortical astrocytes.

CDPPB [3-cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide] was recently described as the first centrally active, positive allosteric modulator of rat and human metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) mGluR5 subtype. We explored the structural requirements for potentiation of glutamate-induced calcium release in naturally expressed mGluR5 in cultured rat astrocytes and increasing affinity for the allosteric antagonist binding site by evaluating 50 analogues of CDPPB. In the fluorometric calcium assay, CDPPB exhibited an EC50 value of 77 ± 15 nM in potentiating mGluR5-mediated responses in cortical astrocytes and a Ki value of 3760 ± 430 nM in displacing [3H]methoxyPEPy binding in membranes of cultured HEK-293 cells expressing rat mGluR5. The structure−activity relationships showed that electronegative aromatic substituents in the para-position of the benzamide moiety of CDPPB increase potency. Both binding and functional activities were further increased with a halogen atom in the ortho-position of the 1-ph...
The biologic and toxic effect of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in chickens

Abstract The administration of 2,3,7,8-TCDD to 2-week-old White Leghorn cockerels produced a dose-dependent induction of hepatic microsomal ethoxyresorufin O -deethylase (EROD) and benzo[α]pyrene (B[α]P) hydroxylase activities with induction EC 50 values of 778 and 302 ng/kg, respectively. In addition, 2,3,7,8-TCDD also induced 4-dimethylaminoantipyrine (DMAP) N -demethylase (EC 50 = 561 ng/kg), this result contrasting with studies reported for other animal species in which 2,3,7,8-TCDD either does not induce or inhibits this cytochrome P -450 dependent monooxygenase enzyme activity. However, the reduced cytochrome P -450 : CO binding difference spectral absorption maxima for the 2,3,7,8-TCDD induced microsomes was observed at 448 nm which was similar to that reported for most animals which have been investigated. Electrophoresis of control and 2,3,7,8-TCDD induced microsomal proteins using SDS polyacrylamide slab gels showed intensification of 3 protein staining bands at M r 53 000, 56 000 and 58 000. Incubation of the 2,3,7,8-TCDD-induced microsomes with SKF-525A and α-naphthoflavone showed that both compounds inhibited DMAP N -demethylase, EROD and AHH and that α-naphthoflavone was the more potent inhibitor of all 3 microsomal monooxygenases. 2,3,7,8-TCDD treatment caused significant involution of the Bursa of Fabricius when administered at a dose level of 10 μg/kg for 3 days and this result confirmed the extreme sensitivity of the immature White Leghorn cockerel to the biologic and toxic effects elicited by 2,3,7,8-TCDD. However, in contrast to other sensitive species, no high affinity cytosolic receptor protein for [ 3 H]2,3,7,8-TCDD could be detected in the liver of chick embryos or 2-week-old birds.
Electro-reduction of nitrogen on molybdenum nitride: structure, energetics, and vibrational spectra from DFT

We used density functional theory to study the electrochemical conversion of nitrogen to ammonia on the (001), (100/010), (101), and (111) surfaces of γ-Mo2N. Based on the calculated free energy profiles for the reduction of nitrogen by the associative and dissociative mechanisms, reactivity was found to decrease in the order (111) > (101) > (100/010) ≈ (001). Namely, the cell potentials needed to drive the reduction to ammonia increase in the following order: -0.7 V on (111), -1.2 V on (101), and -1.4 V on (100/010) and (001) surfaces. The (111) surface was found to be the most reactive for nitrogen due to (i) its ability to adsorb the N2 in the side-on position which activates N-N bonding and (ii) its high affinity for N-adatoms which also prevents accumulation of H-adatoms on the catalytic surface at low cell potentials. We have also calculated vibrational frequencies of different NxHy species adsorbed on various γ-Mo2N surfaces. The frequencies are found to depend strongly on the type of the binding sites available on the crystal facets. A comparison of the calculated frequencies with the frequencies of the corresponding species in transition metal complexes and other metal surfaces shows that the frequencies of several signature modes fall in a similar region and might be used to assign the spectra of hydrogen and nitrogen containing surface species on different metal surfaces.
Unchanged cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) expression and metabolism of midazolam, triazolam, and dexamethasone in mdr(−/−) mouse liver microsomes

Abstract P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) and cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) share common substrates and expression properties, but the relationship of mdr1 deficiency to CYP3A-mediated metabolism and protein expression is not established. The in vitro kinetic parameters of CYP3A-mediated metabolism of midazolam (MDZ), triazolam (TRZ), and dexamethasone (DEX) were studied in liver microsomes from three mdr1a(−/−) mice, one mdr1a/b(−/−) mouse, and mdr1a/b(+/+) controls. The kinetic profiles of CYP3A-mediated MDZ 4-hydroxylation were not significantly different between mdr1 -deficient animals and controls. Overall mean (± SEM, N = 8) values were: V max , 0.74 ± 0.05 nmol/min/mg protein; K m , 28.2 ± 2.7 μM; and estimated intrinsic clearance, 0.026 ± 0.003 mL/min/mg protein. Likewise, rates of formation of α-OH- and 4-OH-TRZ (from 500 μM TRZ), and of DEX metabolites sensitive to ketoconazole inhibition, M1 and M5 (from 20 μM DEX), did not differ between mdr1- deficient and control animals. Immunoquantified microsomal CYP3A protein levels in mdr1a(−/−), mdr1a/b(−/−), and mdr1a/b(+/+) mice were not different, with overall mean immunoreactive protein levels of 2.68 ± 0.09 pmol/μg protein. Although CYP3A and P-gp share aspects of activity and expression, disruption of the mdr1 genes does not affect CYP3A-mediated metabolism or protein expression in the mouse.
MODE DEPENDENCE OF THE STATE-TO-STATE VIBRATIONAL DYNAMICS OF HCN-HF

Abstract The vibrational predissociation dynamics of HCN–HF have been studied at the state-to-state level by recording photofragment angular distributions resulting from excitation of both the C–H and H–F stretching vibrations. The results obtained from a combination of a parent molecule orientation technique and photofragment probe laser experiments show that most of the excess energy is found in rotational energy of the HF fragment. Nevertheless, in contrast with other systems studied to date, HCN–HF is very unusual in that a significant fraction of the available energy appears in the form of recoil kinetic energy (∼40%). The dissociation energy of the complex is also determined to be 1970±10 cm −1 .
The adsorption kinetics of molecular oxygen and the desorption kinetics of GeO on Ge( 100)

Abstract The reaction kinetics of molecular oxygen with the Ge(100) surface have been investigated by using molecular beam relaxation spectroscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. The adsorption kinetics over a range of impingement conditions and surface temperatures are well described by a model involving dissociative Langmuir kinetics, with the initial sticking coefficient and the saturation coverage both increasing with surface temperature. The only species observed in desorption was GeO(g), which desorbed with a cosine spatial distribution. At low coverage, desorption followed first-order kinetics with an activation energy of 60 kcal/mol. At coverages greater than 0.07 ML, zero-order kinetics were observed, with the same activation energy. These results are explained in terms of the instantaneous coverage on active sites for desorption.
The case of julio: Assessment of a client with chronic fatigue syndrome

The following case vignette outlines results from an assessment of a 38-year-old man diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a debilitating illness characterized by 6 or more months of severe, prominent fatigue, neurocognitive impairment, and physical symptoms such as recurrent sore throats, tender lymph nodes, multiple joint and muscle pain, weakness, exercise intolerance, unrefreshing sleep, and headaches. The case history describes a client who is highly demoralized as a result of having endured worsening CFS illness for the past 6 years. Central issues to be addressed in treatment include depressed mood, social isolation, cognitive impairment, irregular patterns of activity, and increased fatigue, nausea, and dizziness at morning time. The author invited leading researchers in the field of CFS to describe their proposed approaches to treatment following this case vignette.
Pre‐laminitic metabolic syndrome in genetically predisposed ponies involves compensated insulin resistance

Metabolic syndromes associated with insulin resistance are found in approximately 25% of apparently healthy Americans and are risk factors for type 2 diabetes or coronary heart disease. We sought to quantitatively describe a comparable metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy ponies previously diagnosed with pasture laminitis (PL, n = 54), compared to those without previous indications of laminitis (NL, n = 116). Laminitis histories were obtained on 170 Dartmoor and Welsh ponies in one inbred herd maintained on grass-clover pasture. Pedigree analysis has revealed a dominant mode of inheritance for PL, with nutrition playing a key role in its expression. In March 2004 the ponies were gathered, weighed, scored for body condition, and sampled for blood between 0800 and 1000 h. Body condition scores were higher (p = 0.001) in the PL group (6.4 ± 0.1) than the NL (5.8 ± 0.1). Plasma analysis revealed higher (p < 0.001) concentrations of insulin (22 ± 2 and 11 ± 1 μIU/ml in PN and NL respectively) and triglycerides (99 ± 11 and 52 ± 4 mg/dl), lower (p < 0.001) cortisol (5.3 ± 0.3 and 6.8 ± 0.2 μg/dl), and no differences for glucose or non-esterified fatty acids. Statistically validated proxies based on insulin and glucose indicated insulin sensitivity in the lowest reference quintile of apparently healthy horses and pancreatic β-cell response in the highest reference quintile, the combination of results indicating compensated insulin resistance. The data allow the tentative proposal of a diagnostic definition of a pre-laminitic metabolic syndrome (PLMS) with four criteria: Insulin sensitivity (log 100/[insulin]), 0.68 units or lower; Pancreatic β-cell response (log[100(insulin)/(glucose -50)]), 1.52 units or higher: Serum triglycerides, 73 mg/dl or higher; Body condition score, 6 or higher. The tentative cut-offs are based on the total predictive power of each criteria, with each having a predictive power of 70% or higher. This PMLS in healthy ponies is analogous to the pre-diabetic metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy people, and is the first such set of risk factors to be supported by data in horses. By the end of May 2004, 13 clinical cases of laminitis developed in the PL group, none in the NL group (p < 0.0001). These prospective results demonstrate the predictive value of the PLMS and encourage its further development as a means to identify ponies in special need of nutritional management to avoid laminitis.
A novel approach for medical countermeasures to nerve agent poisoning in the guinea-pig.

Abstract This study forms part of a larger programme of work aimed at developing improved medical countermeasures for nerve agent poisoning with less reliance on pretreatment. Therapy with N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA), physostigmine, hyoscine and HI-6 protected guinea-pigs against the incapacitating and lethal effects of a supralethal challenge of soman (135 μg/kg) when given 1 min after poisoning. CPA, however has well-recognised side effects that are likely to preclude it being licensed for use in humans so further refinements were made to the doses of the other therapy components to improve efficacy in the absence of CPA. An immediate therapy comprising physostigmine (0.2 mg/kg), hyoscine (4 mg/kg) and HI-6 (93.6 mg/kg), when given 1 min after nerve agent, provided good protection against the lethal effects of GA, GB, GD, GF and VX poisoning and reduced the duration of the signs of incapacitation and hypothermia. In the case of GA and GB poisoning some animals exhibited a short period of substantial incapacitation. Most animals continued to gain weight over the following 6 days without the need for further medical intervention. In the case of GA poisoning further medical intervention would be needed to ensure the longer term survival of all animals and it is likely that in the battlefield situation further medical treatment would be available within 2–4 h. The drug combination described in this paper protects against supralethal doses of a range of nerve agents, with minimal incapacitation in the absence of any pretreatment. Further modification and refinement of this therapy is required for human use and it may provide a way forward for development of medical countermeasures for the treatment of organophosphate poisoning in the wider community should there be a need.
Analysis of the functional dependence of the modified parity-condition parameter on its argument for an important class of Lanchester-type equations for modern warfare†

This paper analytically studies the functional dependence of the modified parity. condition parameter on its argument for an important class of Lanchester-type equations for modern warfare with time-dependent attrition-rate coefficients. For such simulated combat between two homogeneous forces, previous research has shown that the prediction of which force (if any) will be annihilated involves the initial force ratio and generally two so-called parity-condition parameters, which are functionals depending on only the attrition-rate coefficients and sometimes coalesce into a, single value. When the appropriate force-level equation is transformed to the normal form for a second-order linear differential equation, the modified parity-condition parameter arises and facilitates certain key numerical determinations. The paper at hand studies the modified parity-condition parameter corresponding to a particular normal-form invariant and. shows it to be a convex function with certain other interesting properties. ...
Specific viscosity of neutron-rich nuclear matter from a relaxation time approach

The specific viscosity of neutron-rich nuclear matter is studied from the relaxation time approach using an isospin- and momentum-dependent interaction and the nucleon-nucleon cross sections taken as those from the experimental data modified by the in-medium effective masses as used in the isospin-dependent Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (IBUU) transport model calculations. The relaxation time of neutrons is larger while that of protons is smaller in neutron-rich nuclear matter compared with that in symmetric nuclear matter, and this leads to a larger specific viscosity in neutron-rich nuclear matter. In addition, the specific viscosity decreases with increasing temperature because of more frequent collisions and weaker Pauli blocking effect at higher temperatures. At lower temperatures the specific viscosity increases with increasing density due to the Pauli blocking effect, while at higher temperatures it slightly decreases with increasing density as a result of smaller in-medium effective masses at higher densities.
High Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Assay of Cefamandole in Serum Following Intravenous and Intraperitoneal Administration

Abstract Following cesarean section 102 women were treated with cefamandole by either perioperative intravenous administration or intraperitoneal irrigation. High-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods for the quantitation of the low serum levels of cefamandole following intraperitoneal lavage were developed. The antibiotic was assayed in the serum using a standard microbiological assay and two types of reverse phase column technology for HPLC. The two HPLC systems were almost identical in performance. Both HPLC methods were at least 10-fold more sensitive than the microbiological assay. The correlation between the three methods was 0.9739. The half-life of cefamandole was 37 min, which was not significantly different from the half-life of the drug in serum of non-pregnant women. The peak serum levels were 47.6 ± 36.8 μg/ml and 1.98 ± 1.5 μg/ml for the intravenous and intraperitoneal methods of administration, respectively.
Dominant Colliding-Beam Cross Sections at High Energies

We report on our calculation of the energy and angular dependence of the cross sections for the production of various particles by two-photon annihilation processes in ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ colliding beams. For beam energy $E$ of more than 1 GeV, these cross sections [$\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\propto}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{4}{(\mathrm{ln}E)}^{3}$] become increasingly more important than the usual one-photon cross sections [$\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\propto}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{2}{(E)}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$] for hadron production.
The unit of analysis (objects of study) in bibliometrics and scientometrics

Slow development of bibliometric theory may be due in part to neglect of the unit of analysis — the objects described by variables and about which inferences are made. Problems include: inferences are often made on units other than those sampled, leading to inappropriate conclusions; units in literature reviews and meta-analysis are often not comparable, thus hindering cumulation of knowledge; confusion when names of sampling units in one study might also be the names of variables in other studies — e.g., no. of citations (variable) topapers (sampling unit) and no. ofpapers (varible) in journals (sampling unit); loss of information about the unit of analysis, means and variances when data are aggregated. If theory is to advance, scientometrics needs a generic definition of the unit of analysis, a complete list of all known units — classified and structured, meta-analyses, reporting standards — especially when data are aggregated, clear indications of data level (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio), conventions for including units in titles, abstracts and keyword or subject indexes.
Hydrodynamics and dynamic fluctuations of fluid membranes.

This paper develops a formalism for studying the renormalization of dynamic properties of fluid membranes under coarse graining produced by removal of high-wave-number degrees of freedom. It derives hydrodynamical equations for fluid membranes and shows that appropriately chosen noise sources can lead to a Fokker-Planck equation for the probability distribution that decays to the thermal equilibrium at long times that includes measure factor corrections to the usual Boltzmann weight. Membranes that are incompressible at short length scales are shown, via both static and dynamic renormalization calculations, to be compressible at long length scales. As a result, a flexible membrane will always have a density mode that is distinct from its height or shape mode. Dissipative coefficients in the membrane Rouse model are shown to renormalize whereas those in the Zimm model are shown not to.
CD34+ Pigmented Fibrous Proliferations: The Morphologic Overlap Between Pigmented Dermatofibromas and Bednar Tumors

Pigmented dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (Bednar tumor) constitute 5–10% of all cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and are usually considered mimics of melanocytic proliferations rather than fibrous lesions. We report two cases of pigmented fibrous proliferations that demonstrate features of both dermatofibromas and DFSP. The first case is a 19-year-old man with a three year history of a slowly growing pigmented lesion on the right arm. On clinical exam the lesion was a 7 mm firm pigmented papulonodular lesion. The second case is a 31-year-old woman with a 4–5 year history of a slowly enlarging, asymptomatic ‘dark area’ on the right buttock. On clinical exam the lesion is a 2 cm darkly pigmented flat nodule. Morphologically both lesions are primarily dermal proliferations of spindled cells admixed with pigmented dendritic melanocytes. The lesional cells trap collagen fibers at the periphery and there is basal cell hyperpigmentation. Adnexal structures are effaced but significant trapping of subcutaneous fat is not present. By immunohistochemistry both lesions show focal CD34 positivity but are negative for Factor XIIIa and melanocytic markers. Although overlap between dermatofibromas and DFSP is well documented in the literature, pigmented fibrous lesions with features of both entities are not well described.
The 'X' side of Cobra: re-emergence of pureXML in DB2 9.7

XML is becoming a method of choice in defining the representation and exchange of important business data. Its highly descriptive and flexible nature redefines how information can be stored and made available for constant access. In many cases, XML is much better suited to answer companies' ever-changing business needs than traditional relational database structure.
REDUCTION OF O-IODOSOBENZOATE ION BY SULFIDES AND ITS OXIDATIVE REGENERATION

o-Iodosobenzoate and o-iodoxybenzoate ion (IBA and IBX, respectively) are turnover catalysts of hydrolyses of phosphonofluoridates and non-toxic simulants. Reactions of IBA with phosphonothioates are stoichiometric because sulfides (e.g. 4-methoxybenzenethiol) reduce IBA to o-iodobenzoate ion. Oxidants, e.g. , as OXONE, and magnesium peroxyphthalate, MPPA, regenerate IBA and gradually oxidize it to IBX, which eventually decomposes. The procedure was tested on hydrolyses of p-nitrophenyl diphenylphosphate (pNPDPP) and 4-nitrobenzenesulfonyl fluoride, 1, catalyzed by IBA, and the catalyzed hydrolysis of 1 was examined. Some of the oxidation products of 4-methoxybenzene thiol were identified by 1H NMR spectroscopy and oxidative decomposition of IBX was monitored. Periodate ion slowly oxidized o-iodobenzoate ion to IBA and IBX. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Orientational ordering in incommensurate solid helium monolayers on graphite

We calculate the size and energy of distortions of solid ^3He and ^4He monolayers produced by the periodic potential of a graphite substrate, as a function of relative orientation angle of the incommensurate adsorbate and substrate lattices, using experimental elastic parameters of the monolayers, Fourier components of the substrate potential obtained from atomic scattering, and a phenomenological treatment of adsorbate phonons. We also predict the restoring force against relative twist of the two lattices, a parameter needed in analyzing the melting transition.
Canopies of Deltapine Smoothleaf and Pima S-2 Cotton Plants

Entomologists are frequently confronted with the task of estimating the area of the canopy of a crop to determine the degree of interception of insecticides, pathogens, and other biological agents when the control agents are applied aerially. These data are also necessary for estimates of the shading of the soil surface when models are to be used to predict the temperatures of the soil surface and the upper subterranean strata from more easily measured parameters such as air temperature, shading, cloud cover, solar radiation, and other factors associated with the coefficient of diffusivity of soil (K. Foster, Research Associate, and R. E. Fye, unpublished data). The results of a preliminary study to determine means of estimating the canopy coverage of cotton are discussed here.
Malfunction of a bjork-shiley prosthetic heart valve in the mitral position producing an abnormal echocardiographic pattern

This report presents an echocardiographic study of a patient with fibrous ingrowth about the sewing ring and hinges of a Bjork-Shiley valve in the mitral position. The valve was obstructed and produced a distinct motion pattern. In addition to having a rounded diastolic motion, the disk excursion was decreased.
Selective median filters

Novel edge-enhancing filters called the selective average (SA) and the selective median (SM) filters are proposed. It is shown theoretically and experimentally that these filters enhance blurred edges while attenuating noise. Root structures of the SA and SM filters are studied. An efficient implementation of the SA filter that requires only one multiplier, four additions, and one comparison irrespective of the filter length is introduced. Comparisons of the SA and SM filters with other edge-enhancing techniques indicate that the proposed filters are simpler to implement, and that they perform better than the others. >
Estimating fine particulate matter component concentrations and size distributions using satellite-retrieved fractional aerosol optical depth: part 1--method development.

Abstract We develop a method that uses both the total column aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the fractional AOD values for different aerosol types, derived from Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aerosol data, to estimate ground-level concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass and its major constituents in eastern and western United States. Compared with previous research on linking column AOD with ground-level PM2.5, this method treats various MISR aerosol components as individual predictor variables. Therefore, the contributions of different particle types to PM2.5 concentrations can be estimated. When AOD is greater than 0.15, MISR is able to distinguish dust from non-dust particles with an uncertainty level of approximately 4%, and light-absorbing from non-light-absorbing particles with an uncertainty level of approximately 20%. Further analysis shows that MISR Version 17 aerosol microphysical properties have good sensitivity and internal consistency among different mixture classe...
One‐pass 3-D seismic extrapolation with the 45° wave equation

One-pass 3-D modeling and migration for poststack seismic data may be implemented by replacing the traditional 45° one-way wave equation (a third-order partial differential equation) with a pair of second- and first-order partial differential equations. Except for an extra correction term, the resulting second-order equation has a form similar to the Claerbout 15° one-way wave equation, which is known to have a nearly circular impulse response. In this approach, there is no need to compensate for splitting errors. Numerical tests on synthetic data show that this algorithm has the desirable attributes of being second order in accuracy and economical to solve. A modification of the Crank-Nicholson implementation maintains stability.
The Rise and Fall of Celiac Disease in the United States

Because celiac disease is greatly under-diagnosed in the United States, a common assumption is that U.S. doctors and researchers always have considered the condition extremely rare. However, the disorder captured widespread medical attention at the beginning of the twentieth century. Luther Emmett Holt, a leading pediatrician, encouraged three other doctors to investigate the condition. Two helped to associate celiac disease with elite medical institutions. The third linked it to the marketing efforts of the United Fruit Company. Interest in celiac declined after 1965, partly as a result of the decreased concern with nutrition and nutritional disorders.
Panamanian Militarism: A Historical Interpretation

Carlos Guevara Mann argues that Panamanian militarism, a consequence of the breakdown of legitimacy that occurred in the early nineteenth century, is more a manifestation of a deeply-rooted political tradition than an isolated phenomenon of the late twentieth century. He examines the variable US policy approach to domestic stability with the overall context of US hegemony in the isthmus and its shaping of Panamanian militarism. Focusing on the causes that generated nineteenth-century predatory militarism, including political illegitimacy and US support, Guevara Mann analyzes the so-called professionalization of the armed forces - institutionalized militarism - and the polices developed by the 1968-89 military regime. The author cautions that although Panamanian Defense Forces were abolished after the US invasion of December 1989, and although the state's security apparatus has been placed under civilian direction, Panama's stability remains threatened. Lack of legitimacy - the characteristic which informs military involvement in politics - still persists, and militarism could well reappear if the Panamanian polity fails to achieve legitimacy.
The Person–Situation Debate Revisited: Effect of Situation Strength and Trait Activation on the Validity of the Big Five Personality Traits in Predicting Job Performance

Derived from two theoretical concepts--situation strength and trait activation--we develop and test an interactionistmodel governing the degree to which five-factormodel personality traits are related to job performance. One concept--situation strength--was hypothesized to predict the validities of all of the "Big Five" traits, while the effects of the other--trait activation--were hypothesized to be specific to each trait. Based on this interactionist model, personality--performance correlations were located in the literature, and occupationally homogeneous jobs were coded according to their theoretically relevant contextual properties. Results revealed that all five traits were more predictive of performance for jobs in which the process by which the work was done represented weak situations (e.g., work was unstructured, employee had discretion to make decisions). Many of the traits also predicted performance in job contexts that activated specific traits (e.g., extraversion better predicted performance in jobs requiring social skills, agreeableness was less positively related to performance in competitive contexts, openness was more strongly related to performance in jobs with strong innovation/ creativity requirements). Overall, the study's findings supported our interactionist model in which the situation exerts both general and specific effects on the degree to which personality predicts job performance
"How long is your belt?" towards a single device for multiple functions

Summary form only given. Personal communication and computing devices have become omnipresent: cellular phones, PDAs, MP3 players, still and video cameras. Characteristics shared by all these devices include a shrinking size and expanded performance and functionality. All can be carried by a person on a single belt. However, a suitcase is required for all the chargers, as well as the cables to connect to PCs and all the cradles, earplugs etc. The proliferation of such devices has also resulted in a proliferation of standards: TDMA, CDMA, GSM, GPRS, to name a few in cellular communication, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The same can be said of audio, image and video standards. A novel technology, reconfigurable computing, is emerging from research efforts and start-up companies that can radically alter this situation. It does not aim at eliminating standards, but rather it allows a given device to implement any or all standards and functionality. While in a traditional microprocessor, the hardware structure is fixed and the software determines the desired operation, in reconfigurable systems the hardware structure itself is adapted to fit the intended operation under software control. This talk examines the impact of reconfigurable computing on pervasive computing systems.
A study on noisy HFC network upstream channel failure prediction and implementation

A failure prediction method for a noisy uncoded QPSK upstream HFC communication channel has been derived in this paper. This implementation is based on the relationship between the higher layer error (packet loss) and the physical layer error (bit error rate) for the HFC network. With the laboratory measurements on the HFC upstream channel characteristics and the channel analysis and modeling, we have derived an implementation plan for broadband HFC network failure prediction with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) impairment. This study provides more information on fault management for HFC networks and also provides benefits in the development of a network management information base for the HFC network.
VHF single-crystal silicon elliptic bulk-mode capacitive disk resonators-part I: design and modeling

This work, the first of two parts, presents the design and modeling of VHF single-crystal silicon (SCS) capacitive disk resonators operating in their elliptical bulk resonant mode. The disk resonators are modeled as circular thin-plates with free edge. A comprehensive derivation of the mode shapes and resonant frequencies of the in-plane vibrations of the disk structures is described using the two-dimensional (2-D) elastic theory. An equivalent mechanical model is extracted from the elliptic bulk-mode shape to predict the dynamic behavior of the disk resonators. Based on the mechanical model, the electromechanical coupling and equivalent electrical circuit parameters of the disk resonators are derived. Several considerations regarding the operation, performance, and temperature coefficient of frequency of these devices are further discussed. This model is verified in part II of this paper, which describes the implementation and characterization of the SCS capacitive disk resonators.
Absorption and retinol equivalence of β-carotene in humans is influenced by dietary vitamin A intake

The effect of vitamin A supplements on metabolic behavior of an oral tracer dose of [14C]β-carotene was investigated in a longitudinal test-retest design in two adults. For the test, each subject ingested 1 nmol of [14C]β-carotene (100 nCi) in an emulsified olive oil-banana drink. Total urine and stool were collected for up to 30 days; concentration-time patterns of [14C]β-carotene, [14C]retinyl esters, and [14C]retinol were determined for 46 days. On Day 53, the subjects were placed on a daily vitamin A supplement (10,000 IU/day), and a second dose of [14C]β-carotene (retest) was given on Day 74. All 14C determinations were made using accelerator mass spectrometry. In both subjects, the vitamin A supplementation was associated with three main effects: 1) increased apparent absorption: test versus retest values rose from 57% to 74% (Subject 1) and from 52% to 75% (Subject 2); 2) an ∼10-fold reduction in urinary excretion; and 3) a lower ratio of labeled retinyl ester/β-carotene concentrations in the absorptive phase. The molar vitamin A value of the dose for the test was 0.62 mol (Subject 1) and 0.54 mol (Subject 2) vitamin A to 1 mol β-carotene. Respective values for the retest were 0.85 and 0.74. These results show that while less cleavage of β-carotene occurred due to vitamin A supplementation, higher absorption resulted in larger molar vitamin A values.